Learning Happens in Stages

My lesson this past Tuesday was again a great one. Toby is really coming along well. Getting him to go on the bit and be responsive to my aids in a beautiful round frame takes less and less time at the start of the lesson. We are focusing him on stretching his neck down and out and engaging his hind end. When he does that, the feeling of power is phenomenal! We praise him like crazy and he stretches out even more. He loves to please!

Our training is going in stages and while he's learning to be round and stretching out across his top line at this stage, he's still carrying much of himself with his front end. Eventually, as he gets stronger across his top line we will ask for him to carry more of himself with his hind end which in turn will raise his neck and head. But learning goes in stages and right now he's seems to be getting the hang of it. Eventually he'll be able to hold his frame longer and then eventually we'll be asking more from his hind end.

It's so fun to see his progress. And I'm having a blast! I never would have thought I'd have so much fun with dressage. I've always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie which is why I liked jumping but with dressage I'm learning how to get so much more out of my horse (power - which is a total rush, and balance) ! It has put Toby in a new light for me. We have another show coming up on the 27th which will hopefully show a lot of progress from our first show.

And as an FYI, Toby will be getting a week off beginning Sunday and I will not be posting here due to travel for work. Although this next sentence is completely off topic from this blog: if you have an interest in golf and in particular the Rules of Golf, you will find me blogging on this website with their "Rules Corner" during that time.