Matt Cox lesson

So off we went to our first lesson with Matt Cox. Paddy was good to load - probably because he had daisy next to him who he thinks is lovely!

Went into the indoor arena at Rosewood stud & he was very spooky and snorted at everything! Had a chat with Matt & told him all of Paddy's problems & I think he was surprised at all Paddy had gone through in the last year as a half!

We started off in walk, then up into trot & he got us leg yielding on a circle, then doing shoulder in on a 15 metre circle. This was to stop Paddy from hugging the wall and falling out through his shoulder. I did actually admit that I didn't know whether I had been doing it right but it appears that I had been. When doing tis paddy really started working across his back, but because it is such hard work for him he couldn't maintain the outline we wanted for very long. We were aiming for a fairly low head carriage with him working from behind in order that he lifted his back. When he did achieve it he felt lovely, with more cadence and suspension. 

Lots to be working on before our next lesson which is in May. 

Of course Paddy couldn't maintain his good behavoiur for very long, because as soon as he spotted the horses outside who were in the next lesson he kept neighing to them & wouldn't shut up!! He aparently only needs to glimpse another horse before he thinks it's his new best friend!!

Lesson time

Paddy & I had a lesson with Sarah last Friday in preparation for our dressage debut the following Sunday, and we both worked hard - me on my position because he is straighter and more consistent if I am sitting upright and not tipping my head down, and paddy on trying to get his hind end engaged and work across his back.

We practiced transitions a lot which currently are very stilted - he almost stalls into them. We worked on not using any rein, just using my seat and back as aids, which helped. 

His canter is so much better now, but again his transitions are poor, but eventually managed to get much smoother ones & decided to leave it on a good note. 

Now need to learn my tests! It will be Paddy's first dressage outing in nearly 1 1/2 years & we are doing our first competition prelim - not sure if I am looking forward to it or dreading it!!

Good lesson today

Had a lesson on Paddy today with Sarah and other than a couple of spooks, he behaved himself & once I had him working he started to concentrate, which is no mean feat on the nosiest horse on the planet!

Things I need to remember are;

To use my outside rein & leg to stop him falling out through the shoulder.

Get him spiraling in and out on circles in order to get him stepping through with his inside hind leg.

When doing canter transitions use half halts to get his back end underneath him, then pop him up into canter & not shoot my inside lower leg forward. 

To keep my chin up - remember that I don't actually need to look at paddy to know what he's doing - I don't have a problem in canter but it's another story in trot!!

Have another lesson booked for next week just before our first dressage outing in 18 months!!