We finally got to do the postponed dressage clinic the first week in
April. Having lessons over 3 consecutive days was great, only maybe I
could have done with a couple more! The first issue to sort out was
Fina's fast trot, she sets off like a runaway train, which was taking me
out of position and my timing was poor on correcting her and releasing
when she steadied so that had to be addressed before we could move on.
We did however get complimented on improving her lateral suppleness. I
needed to (continue to) work on my core which still tends to collapse. I
was put in a body belt to help remind me (like being back in pony club
when you had a crop stuck down your shirt or behind elbows!) but we were
getting a much steadier trot and flashes of some nice work, and good
results from the various exercises. We stayed in trot work and didn't
get on to any canter work or advanced movements but made real progress
in the areas I felt I needed help on, like the trot speed and tempo, and
my position and the effect on Fina's way of going, and our
communication. On day 3 we managed some nice soft thoughtful trot work
with flashes of how Fina will feel like if I keep this up; she has a
really exciting powerful trot when steady and engaged, and when it all
came together for a few strides, it made me smile as I remembered how it
should feel like (from a time when I rode better and on "proper" horses). We can't do the next clinic, which is in June, but maybe the autumn
one, if my purse allows. The good news is that the steady, thinking trot
is still with us, even when hacking Now I really must get a bit of flat field fenced off.
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