Improvements.

Getting ready to turn the arena lights on.

I really meant to post earlier this week and all of a sudden I realize it's been a week since my last post. Oops.

Our dressage lesson went great last Sunday!! Ann taught Klein and I how to lengthen our stride and come back in the trot and canter. It was easier to learn than I thought. Klein was a little confused the first few tries but then started to get it. She would think I wanted her to canter in the trot lengthening and she thought I was asking for a down transition to a trot when I asked her to come back from the canter lengthening. We got it all worked out and have had two nice dressage rides this week. We also worked on 15 meter circles and other things needed for the Training level test. Ann said it's evident I have really good control of my seat and core strength, which was a nice compliment coming from her.

Both of our dressage rides were bareback this week. Klein seems to have fun with the canter lengthening. She just goes along with it at the trot. It's not very dramatic or anything, because of the type of horse she is. But, it's there. I can feel her kick out in the front is the best way I can describe it and I feel like I'm riding up a hill. For our dressage rides we worked on what we learned and kind of got it together with each other on the half halts before and after. We did some shoulder in, counter canter, simple changes, and worked on our halts and free walks.

After that we went to the xc course with Sarah, Simone, and some other friends that were out there that day. We had a good time as usual and Sarah jumped some of the Training course for the first time and did great. I knew Klein was a little tired from the dressage lesson. She learned to use her body in a new way so I cut her some slack and we didn't go out and school as hard as we usually do.

Thursday evening I set up another 3'3" jump school. This one had some verticals on a bending line, a square oxer, and a ramped oxer. That was kind of a cray ride but it was awesome. Klein was full of it and was a handful to hold on to. She just wanted to blast off around the ring the entire time. She was making me work for everything that evening. I'm pretty sure I worked harder than she did. She jumped amazingly. Handful and all she didn't touch a thing. I can tell 3'3" is starting to get smaller to her and be easier. She wasn't ever really terrible at it, but even with all her crazyness and me constantly trying to reel her in and even her out that evening we were getting some weird distances and angles and she was making ALL OF THEM. A few months ago if we didn't hit it right on with precision she might have taken a rail. Now it seems like she doesn't need that complete accuracy coming into a 3'3" fence. Which does NOT mean I won't try my hardest to ride with that accuracy. It's just that she was a REAL handful Thursday evening. I was trying...but most of that trying went into just getting her somewhat managed.

I wanted to get out for a hack but Tuesday it was a little rainy in the morning, then it cleared up and the sun came out. I thought we'd be good to go but by the time I got off work it was back to this:

The temperature dropped and there was a pretty biting wind so oh well. We'll get out on the hills this next week.

I did make a goofy video of her this week. She just had a granola bar, but you know...she wants a box of granola bars not just one.