Klassy

Just a little bit ghetto

Let's face it.  Of the 3 dressage tests I've performed in public, all 3 of them have had nearly identical comments ... "Above the bit", "Needs to be better in the bridle", "Needs to be more on the contact".  Not to mention the fact my boss said something that stuck with me the other day:  When you identify a problem in your training, you have to attack it right then.  You can't let the horse go around with the wrong shape because then he builds the wrong muscles and it becomes twice as hard to fix the problem.

It's been 4 years (almost).  He needs to be better confirmed in the bridle.  He can gallop around a novice 3 day course like it's NOTHING, he can jump clean around a 3' stadium course, HE CAN W/T/C ON THE BIT.  Lol.  So on went my ghetto draw reins!  I've used them so infrequently I always forget to snap a pic, but not today!  I got one for your viewing pleasure:) My poor horse was HATING me.  I let him warm up for a few minutes then got right to it.  I just did 10 m circle at end of the ring, reverse across a diagonal.  That was my exercise for about 15 min, then I did transitions on the 20 m circle, and then he cantered.  Poor boy tried as HARD as he could to not yield, but finally he had to give in and get round.  He gave me a little bucky bucky, but finally settled in and accepted that he could NOT be above the bit.

I popped off 2 perfect lead changes, trottted the 20m circle, then cantered both leads one more time and let him be finished since the sky had gotten ominously dark and the thunder was clapping a little more forcefully. Provided it's not super storming tomorrow around 11, I will do one final dressage school for the week.  Originally I had planned to leave off the draw reins and see what I had, but I feel like maybe I need to reinforce the lesson today and use them one more time then give him the weekend to think about it.  He got his Adequan shot on Tuesday so he should be feeling pretty good this week.  Next week we will jump our first jump since May Daze!!