Wednesday, February 04, 2009

We had a better lesson today. I was more attentive to keeping my outside rein (left rein), going right, and really making sure that Roode was loose on the right rein. I think all this work made out for a really good lesson. Roode came more over the back and was more balanced in the half passes. And together, I felt that we were both more free when balanced as long as we both were not passing the wrong boundaries.
In the canter pirouettes, I was able to control them better now that I got my inside leg on more. This time I really exaggerated taking my outside leg off and getting my inside leg more active with him. Herr Schmidt keeps saying, “The inside rein makes him loose and the outside rein makes him through.” I think this principle is finally sinking in. And I am constantly too abrupt with my half halts and flexion aids. Herr Schmidt keeps telling me to be softer. He keeps saying that I only need two fingers to move ever so slightly with such a sensitive horse like Roode.
We did a line of fours and threes before finishing. The count was fine. Herr Schmidt only said that I need to not use so much outside leg for the next aid because it makes him crooked. So our next line of threes on the second track was much better.
Oh, and a side note of some actually very exciting news I think. Roode was out in turnout for an hour today. He was very happy and was not wild for one second which I thought was strange. The ground was frozen but the ice is gone. Thank Goodness! It was his first day out in a larger paddock. The only free time he has been getting is 15 minutes in the lunging circle where he goes wild and then gets bored quick and starts chewing at the wood.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Roode felt good today, but I did not feel like I rode too well. I continue to have problems with my left outside rein. I think to keep the contact there but I continually fall short of making it effective when I need to make him through in the body. Roode feels stiff in the right jaw and so I flexion and keep the contact there without giving him the chance to really move into the left rein where I want him. Without much notice, instead of giving him balance with a light inside rein, I would actually be hanging and working too hard for inside bend. When I finally got that old feeling for a split second where he became more balanced and pumped I could focus more on it and develop it again and again but the feeling only lasted for a constant of maybe 5 strides before I would have to get it together again. It was great work after solving that problem.
I am really trying to develop more cadence and schwung with Roode. He has every bit of it in him but it’s never his first choice. In trying to make him stronger with this, he is generally making a lot of progress. But, I want often want to make his neck too short. Herr Schmidt keeps telling me to take more of the curb on the outside and more of the snaffle on the inside when Roode gets too against the bit in the moment that I try to make a better trot or canter, and without making the neck short.