What I mean with this is that in order to nail the advanced movements I have to start RIDING. It was clear last night, when we did the canter half pass from center line to the rail and then stayed in counter canter until I asked for the flying change. It doesn’t work if I’m just the passenger, with Saumur in the driver's seat. My aids had to be on, especially at C, when Saumur was flicking his ears and started to get excited a bit, asking “change now?, now??”
We also worked on flying changes through changing the circles, and they only were clean and expressive if I was very precise with my aids. Sandy had been schooling the changes with Saumur, and now he is ‘fine-tuned’ and doesn’t react to my half-hearted attempts anymore (uh, I guess thanks, Sandy!). The half-halt has to be there to prepare him, and then I really need to make it very clear with my leg and weight aids. Especially the ‘new’ inside leg has to come really forward.
It was a very good lesson and I truly felt like I was RIDING. It took me how many years to get there? Never mind. In the past I could barely put my legs on and the turbo kicked in so I backed right off to get Saumur into a lower gear. Now I can put my legs on and Saumur takes it as aid. This is a really a wonderful breakthrough.
It was a bittersweet day yesterday. Not only was it our wedding anniversary (the sweet part), JP and I both had great lessons (another sweet part - I mean, how many couples have dressage lessons on their anniversary??) – but it would have also been Crissy’s (my mare’s) 24th birthday. I do not have any regrets that I made the decision to have her put to sleep last December, otherwise she would have suffered terrible through the winter. In my heart I know it was the right and kind thing to do -- But I still miss her very much!
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