Tracey lesson 14-03-12

Tracey rode Monty today - really interesting to watch him from the ground but boy she made him work hard - he finds stepping under and truly engaging so difficult.  He does engage his abdominal muscles as you can see them but doesn't use them to connect front and back end so it feels like riding 2 different horses.  He is constantly wanting to swing his quarters out rather than step through and engage.  The overbending to the left is me rather than him but it's definitely him with the swingy quarters. 

Aims are to work on the shoulder-in on the circle.  Both in walk and trot.  He finds it seriously difficult so careful not to do too much.  Should find left rein much easier than right.  On left rein need to think inside leg to outside hand and be able to give with inside hand - do not ask for too much inside bend, almost think outside flexion and make sure the shoulders come in, not the quarters go out.  On right rein he wants to carry quarters slightly to the inside so must make sure he steps under and through with inside hind and move the quarters away from the inside leg.  Keep my inside leg stretched down and long.  Can change rein across diagonal still in shoulder in, keep the positioning on new rein then back across diagonal.  Intermittently ask him to really stretch down and round in rising trot, but must not let him run onto the forehand when you stop holding him up.  Keep upper body back and really ask him to connect front end to back end, imagining bringing the bridle closer to his hocks.

Until we can gymnasticise him and make him find the lateral work easier he wont be able to produce the quality basic work that you need to get the super marks at basic eventing dressage.