Monday's Ride

Today I rode..This was the first time we rode down the strip since the corn down there is gone..They had done the field behind the barns but not out front..he (our neighbor) now has room so they cut the whole field finished:)

Anyway, last night I was reading the book Cross-training with Dressage by Jane Savioe and it was talking about having your horse in front of your leg..which if I am correct means the horse moves when you ask...let me look:) Yes I was right..Anyway what you are supposed to do is ask the horse to go forward with a light aide (My aide to go forward is a light press with the heels)..and if the horse doesn't do that you are supposed to "punish" them..Not beat them but kick them harder or tap with the whip...I don't want you to think you are supposed to be mean or anything but for a better understanding it would probably be better to read the book..hehe..anyway I tried it with Navajo...I didn't have to punish him he listened immediately:) He was very light this morning:) So that is a good start on the dressage training:)

I did a lot of getting him to listen to my leg this morning and was really pleased..once we got back I got him to move his hindquarters and forequarters and back up from the ground..He did great:):) I also did some flexing..Then I wanted to see if he was straight (means his hind legs follow his front legs and his head is in the middle of his chest)..HE was straight from what I could tell..Now I need ot see it when I am riding..going to get mom or rose mary to take a picture of that.

One thing I like about Jane Savioe is she talks consistantly about how you should not use shortcuts in training and think training as months and years instead of days and weeks...and take the little steps as great accomplishments :) I thought that was great..I like her because she echos a lot of things I think are important in horse training!! Just a though for today:):)

here are two sayings I came across:

You can't change other people
you can only choose whether you will love them or not.
-Unknown

Friends are like stars
They are there you just can't always see them.
-Unknow

I especially like the last one as sometimes I hardly e-mail or talk to some of my friends but they are still my friends:) Everyone have a great rest of the week!!