Hope Returns

And here is the post that I mentioned in the last post! I found it! Woohoo! Read it!

Monday's flatwork session did not go very well for Teco and me. He was heavy on his forehand, a habit that has developed over the past week or so, and I really didn't know how to handle it. I had really hoped to school our coutner-canters, but that wasn't going to work. So after about a half an hour of frustration mounting on both sides, I resorted to my favorite exercise when all else seems to be going wrong: transitions!

That helped slightly, but it still was a little bit of a frustrating workout. At our lesson yesterday, I told Paul about that little problem, and he rode Teco for about fifteen minutes to try to get a feel of what I was talking about. Counterbending seemed to really help! We FINALLY had a chance to practice the counter-canter, and we had our best counter-canters... well, ever!

Hope has returned for this weekend. Teco and I are going to Morven Park Horse Trials for our second Preliminary together. We have all the pieces in the schooling -- his dressage improves daily as he grows stronger, and I think I have a pretty good handle on how to jump him after our past two shows together. What I am hoping for most of all this weekend is just a clean cross country and stadium! Although a nice steady dressage test would be good too. :]

I'll update after the show this weekend -
Christie