Sunday Lesson

Awesome lesson with kelly eaton

good job with neck and connection, but maybe need to start getting slightly more connected (by closing my fingers around the reins, not taking up rein length). Work on dan carrying himself. Quiet legs. no nagging. Shock and awe and then legs off. nice forward cadence with some bounce! nice soft back and topline. good job with his neck. remember, not going for feeling good yet, but reward any tendency towards good. move the shoulders with my upper body and reins (don't use my leg aids because I need to save the leg aids for other aids. keep it black and white). Can move the shoulders with a wrist turn and moving both hands inside then release back to f,d,o. 

transitions sucked, so work on those.. keep the connection through them but don't pull him back. can follow.  canter transitions especially. when cantering, in downward immediately do a 15 meter trot circle then change direction. helps balance him upright. right lead still a struggle. he looked stuck to kelli. Be empathatic. Shockwave, increase meds to treatment vs maintenance doses, and add gluc/pent/adequan. use long sides when he's stuck, and avoid circling forever. get up in two point and move out.

yay! 

then went for a 45 miute hack. also did a little bold canter in the field on right lead. Swapped to left at end - may have been terrain or may have been fatigue (but also has always preferred left lead). saw a red headed woodpecker. did some hills. picked the best path.

good boy