# We have been working hard!



## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

No critiques yet, maybe cause of so much improvement!? 
Here is the video since lack of responses lol

YouTube


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

In the canter you need to stretch your leg down and really focus on riding the stride with your seat - almost think about being a half beat faster with your seat to push him up in front of you.
As well, your shoulders don't need to come back - they need to be pressed down. Yoga postures (down dog especially) and barbell squats require the same engagement of the lats and core that you need to have to push your shoulders down. Then your elbows will be able to have bend while your hands continue to push forward and down.
After that, your position looks good for the level.

To get the horse working more towards collection you don't pull more, shorten your reins and ride more. Think about holding a whip with the handle in your left hand (representing th haunches of the horse) and the lash (the head) in your right. If you push your right hand towards your left, the whip curls BTV. If you push the left hand towards the right, the frame is shortened, but still uphill. This is the visualization for collection - ride the hindlegs to the hands. 
To start closing the holes to get the horse collected - start with turns on the forehand (with forward movement), spirals in and out (with trot canter transitions sprinkled in), canter leg yield both ways, left and right, on both leads (allow him to fall out or go straight if he can't hold it - eventually he will get stronger), and of course accurate and precise transitions to your specifications. Ride on your line - don't allow him to deviate from the line you dictate. And add in more lateral work - SI and travers to begin. Keep the haunches and forehand, respectively, tracking straight forward and use the outside leg to create bend - ride from your outside aids up to the waiting inside leg - don't push the horse over the outside shoulder with your inside leg.

Good luck! If you need any specific exercises let me know.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Sam,

I watched some of the video, not all. I can give some feedback, (a little) but it isn't to say I could do better myself, as I can not.

The first thing I saw was when you were starting your first depart from standing to , I think, trotting. Ollie was standing, flexed and all, but was really leaning forward, HARD. he was just waiting for you to let him go. if you'd let go the rein, he'd have fallen hard on his nose.
YOu were using the rein to make him soft before applying the "go!" cue (and getting a smart response, as you mentioned before). But, allowing him to stand like that, leaning on the reain hard is a way of building in heaviness . I would start by never allowing him to stand so heavily leaning on your rein. If you have to put that much pressure on to meet his "lean" then you need to stay there, address that and get him to come off the bit, and NOT by sucking under and behind it. By lifting his whole neck up , from the base, and rocking back on to his hind.

I'd work on getting him to stop so soft that he thinks that maybe you will ask for a back up. Then, do ask for that, sometimes, then mix it up, becuase if he rocks back just a wee bit on to his hinds, then he's in essense ready to leap forward, too.


Also, you tend to come behind the vertical quite a lot. it's a style of riding that is very commonly promoted. The result, however, can be that the hrose feels your seatbones digging hard into his back, and if you are overly rotated, the seatbones will even point forward, not straight down . That has a suppressing action on the horse. I see Ollie swishing his tail sometimes and wonder if there is too much direct pushing down into his back because you might be leaning too far back.

just impressions, and like I said, I cannot do better, nor am I any kind of dressage instructor. take them for what they are worth . . free!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> In the canter you need to stretch your leg down and really focus on riding the stride with your seat - almost think about being a half beat faster with your seat to push him up in front of you.
> As well, your shoulders don't need to come back - they need to be pressed down. Yoga postures (down dog especially) and barbell squats require the same engagement of the lats and core that you need to have to push your shoulders down. Then your elbows will be able to have bend while your hands continue to push forward and down.
> After that, your position looks good for the level.
> 
> ...


Now there's some great advice! That's a lot to digest.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

I disagree with suggesting the rider is leaning backwards. I dos not watch the videos but the pictures indicate a rider who is using her back to remain upright and correctly vertical. Leaning forward weakens the position and encourages the rider to pull.

As well to fix any heaviness issues - one should do as I suggested - ride harder to get the horse infront IE riding back to front as opposed to pulling the horse behind the rider, as tiny suggested - this is backward riding.
As well we want a strong, but elastic contact, not a wavering, dangling contact. The horse should put a deal of pressure into the contact in order to bridge the back upwards - this is the connection of energy required for collection. True collection. Not a front to back collection.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Wow, thank you Anebel!

Agreed that I need to stretch my legs down, keep my hips open... I think it's a mind over matter...mind over muscle? Deal for me at this point. Once I do stretch my legs down, wrap them around him I feel an immediate difference. 
Just a few weeks ago was he going mock 10 for the first few minutes in the canter so he's really progressing. He's so much straighter, softer and listing 15x more then before. We just got his leads....I started riding to much with my outside rein only and not fully vomiting to the trantition so we had lots of issues! Now I'm riding it much better and getting them when I ask the first time. Not only that but I feel he's trying to stay more engaged in the trantitions... Not hallowing out and tensing up. I know the video didn't show that much so hoping to get more of that next time!

Another big step up for him...and I suppose this means I am riding him better as well as he has more confidence in himself and trust in me?....I have him more engaged, with me, relaxed and thinking along the long sides. Before it was just our circles but something changed in the lady week or so....he's with me. Really trying. I'm just so pleased.

Now as for your explanation of the whip via collection you lost me...completely somehow lol!

I'm needing to really really crack down on our leg yields. So not together when it comes to those! I think I'm intimidated by them...have no clue why lol

Spirals for canter-transitions in with them.....can you explain further into what I need to be looking for? Feeling? Asking for? What I really don't want?
I have a feeling I will get ally of breaks into trot when I first try this exercise cause he will be pretty unsure at first....

With the clinician I ride with in the summer....he comes back first week in June....we do shoulder fore.
Now I need to go back and work on this, I seem to tight my whole lower body when I do this...completely not helpful!

Hoping to grab a friend later this week or this weekend to video me!
Thanks again so much! I really feel he is telling me he's ready to be pushed further, harder as he has opened up his brain to more and is truly enjoying our rides!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Tiny-
Thank you!!
Agreed on our halts...and him leaning! One readin why I videoed myself..I could really feel it in that first one... 

Today I figured out what I need to do with my body as well as my aids to get a better ACTIVE trantion into our halts so I'll be very interested to talk to my trainer tomorrow and play around with it to see what comes of it. 

Wound up putting slot more weight in me seat to feet...no bracing against the dash bored but really applying the weight and thought halt...now I just need to add leg, keep hips open, tap him up into it with my whip if needed to keep the hind end activated through the whole trantion... That's my hope at least. If that sounds wrong or anything please... Someone say so! Lol

As for coming out of our trantions that's also been a huge stride or two forward for us, no pun intended lol
But before he would be more likely to fall apart, I'd tense up, loose ficusby then it was too late...

Now I am really thinking it through step by step. Really using my leg and relase of my inside rein at the right moments. He's such a we give horse! So funny to think iv been riding home for almost two solid years and just now making the "light bulb" realizatations of coming out of the trantions lol something I am happy about and laughing about too!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

i think she is a bit behind vertical, too, and it is clear in the photo she titled just like this photo. The outside of the pic IS vertical.

Nancy


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Klassic Superstar said:


> Wow, thank you Anebel!
> 
> Agreed that I need to stretch my legs down, keep my hips open... I think it's a mind over matter...mind over muscle? Deal for me at this point. Once I do stretch my legs down, wrap them around him I feel an immediate difference.
> Just a few weeks ago was he going mock 10 for the first few minutes in the canter so he's really progressing. He's so much straighter, softer and listing 15x more then before. We just got his leads....I started riding to much with my outside rein only and not fully vomiting to the trantition so we had lots of issues! Now I'm riding it much better and getting them when I ask the first time. Not only that but I feel he's trying to stay more engaged in the trantitions... Not hallowing out and tensing up. I know the video didn't show that much so hoping to get more of that next time!
> ...



Ok I am finally on a computer and watched a bit of the video. First of all, the video shows a rider using her seat to ride the horse. This is a concept foreign to most North Americans who are used to riding on their crotches and having the sun shine out of their tushies and pulling on the face to control the horse. If you don't like this deep dressage seat, there is a H/J forum that you are free to visit.

In the halt - that is not the correct exercise for the horse. He will become more supple with lateral work, not with pulling on his face in the halt. A better exercise for him (and you) is going to be to halt, rest your hands on the withers and ride him up to the bridle by taking one step and halting, and take one step and halt, and one step and halt. Until you have individual control over each leg and can position the hind legs in the halt, directly under you. Only do a few steps at a time to begin so as not to overface him.

To break down the leg yield and make it more manageable, that is why we start with a turn on the forehand. The TOF is the same exercise as I just described in the previous paragraph, except now you are asking for his haunches to move sideways. One step at a time, eventually when he is stronger, you can ask for a fluid TOF, but ask only now for a few steps, one at a time so you don't overface him.
Then, take the exercise to a spiral in and out. In a trot, come to a 12m circle, and yield out to a 20m circle. Then add the canter transitions. There are two places to put the transitions (and a few variations of the exercise). First is to trot onto the 12m circle, yield to the 20m circle and as soon as you hit the 20m circle line, ask for a canter. Then trot and repeat. The second way is to start on a 15 m circle, canter, then yield out and trot. He will probably begin by falling out of the trot almost immediately, but eventually you will be able to keep him cantering the whole way out (it might take you a few circles to yield the whole way out at first). Then one variation to the exercise is to do the 12-20m circle in trot, ask for the canter on the 20m circle and then head across the diagonal in a yield in the same lead - this is harder than the other yield. Again, he will start by trotting almost immediately, but eventually will get strong enough to do more of the diagonal. 
Once you have the spiral going well, then add leg yields on the straight away in trot. Start from the q-line to the wall, and pick an end point and ride to it. Don't let him waver from your line, even in the LY. Eventually graduate to c-line to wall LYs and make them steeper. Once this is good, adding more lateral work will be beneficial.

When working with a clinician, try to integrate what they work on into your program. Work on the SF and improve it so when he comes again, you can continue on and aren't paying the big $$ for the same lesson every time. Things only get better with practice.

Good luck!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Anebel, I'll reply to your post after work, about to jet out after posting these pictures from today's ride.

Real Thad much better, bigger steady canter today.
Warmed up with a million and half trantitions and turns, just switching things up. Made him really come up to me. Really got after the leaning and pulling in any trantition as well as when just halted. 

Really bummed my video didn't get the canter work again the video is at an odd angle. 

Had to really ride him hard as he jumped out of his pasture 4 times this morning to get to the better grass of course! Naughty boy! Also strung more higher line up lol

Here are the photos from today 

Thanks again for taking the time to watch and read! Super appreciate it!





































I could tell he was enjoying the work, lots of blowing and snorting.
I felt very accomplished with today's ride!


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

The blowing and snorting says he's very fresh. 'O' I like you and your horse. I know that you're working on Dressage, BUT, you need to get him to listen to you better AND you need to deepen your seat at the same time.
I gather your Avatar is the two of you jumping?
I suggest:
1) warm up flat work with many and constant transitions between gaits. 
2) Circles, spirals, figure 8's, cantering/counter-cantering. Go to the corners are a walk and halt, then change reins by moving his quarters 90 degrees over.
Keep him surprised.
After a good WEEK of just flat work, start working on your seat. 
3) Ride 1/2 hr at a time without stirrups. *Do this after the flat work has taken the edge off of him.* Then, at the end, ride 2 point for at LEAST 20 minutes. Both of these exercises will tire you legs, deepen your seat, and deepen your heels.
The overflexion should take care of itself when he is REALLY on the bit and listening to you. Right now he is evading the bit and your reins.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I've noticed that when you aren't really asking your horse to move out with your seat and legs... he is too far tucked under in the front. Which makes sense if you don't keep your leg on when you go to halt. Taking your leg off means you aren't pushing him into the bridle. 

Make sure with your halt or walk transition is backed up with leg. 

Just past a minute and you seem really... curled up?? The top half of you anyway. Your leg is nice and long but your top half should be more relaxed and open, and your shoulders shouldn't be raised so high. Not as bad as it could be, but it could stand to be better. 

Around 2:06, you lean to turn. I personally think this unbalances and horse. Yes it's good to put some weight in your seatbone but I feel that you could haev used your core to stabilize your turn. But he turned nicely so you didn't interfere as much with him. 

I really like your halt to trot transitions, your trot to halt.. again need more leg and not pull as much with your rein. You are trying to stop movement not create backwards movement.

I love your sitting trot  But again, I cringe when you halt...

~~

Omg I actually jumped back when I saw your canter transition, haha... I'm so not awake. I think a well timed half halt would make it better.

I'm not sure what could help make the horse lighter in the front, but anebel seems to have that all worked out  

Gorgeous trot from Ollie man after you come back down though. Very nice.

5:16 you look like you're really off center.. like you're really leaning into the turn which isn't a good idea IMOP...

5:30 onwards kind of visually shows you that you need more leg for the amount of contact you're asking for. He's hesitating as he tried to slow down like he thought you asked.. but then jumped forward when you put your leg on. 

It just needs to be more consistent, but you two look like a wonderful pair  You've improved so much since I last saw!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I find your second canter transition at 5:45 much better! I see you preparing him, rather than throwing him into it. Lovely!

Good transition to trot (he doesn't fall into it) but then I notice the trot loses a lot of its impulsion. You can see the difference from the downward transition to 6:33. 

Your third canter transition wasn't that great. I didn't see as much preparing so he fell/ran into it. he seems really flat and almost trying to break into a trot the entire canter. He seemed heavier and not light as before. I would have brought him back to trot and prepared him better for canter. Quality... not quantity. 

Nice trot  but at 9:40 I think you are trying to let him stretch down into a 'stretchy trot' ?? If so, more leg lady! Better at 10:10, even with the leaning it's almost not happening!  

And better trot to talk transition!  I saw a more more core and leg on, instead of straight pulling. 

So just little things really:

Preparing him more before transitions
Keep your leg on with halt and think about leg on in other gaits too so he doesn't "duck"
Don't lean into your turns. Stay as straight as possible unless you're doing lateral work then your seat bones will play more of a role...
Relax those shoulders!!


 Well done!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> Keep the haunches and forehand, respectively, tracking straight forward and use the outside leg to create bend - ride from your outside aids up to the waiting inside leg - don't push the horse over the outside shoulder with your inside leg.
> 
> 
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Anebel, could you please expand upon this? Is this in relation to collection? It is completely inverted from what instructors drill into us of inside leg to outside rein. If I'm reading it correctly, it involves using the outside rein aid before the inside leg aid and the not the other way around. Is that right?


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

MyBoyPuck said:


> Anebel, could you please expand upon this? Is this in relation to collection? It is completely inverted from what instructors drill into us of inside leg to outside rein. If I'm reading it correctly, it involves using the outside rein aid before the inside leg aid and the not the other way around. Is that right?


I know you want the horse to bend around your inside leg.. that is what I have been taught most recently.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Skyseternalangel said:


> I know you want the horse to bend around your inside leg.. that is what I have been taught most recently.


That is the logic, but I've always been told to think of the leg aid as coming before the rein aid, ie impulsion into yielding hand. The way anebel wrote it implies the other way around. Yield the shoulder first and then ask for the impulsion. Kinda cool if we just stumbled onto some new info.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Klassic, I totally forgot to add critique. The only thing I can see is you need to carry your hands. Yes, your elbows should rest relaxed at your sides, but your forearms should carry their own weight. Shorten your reins and carry them with your elbows bent a little more than they are now. You will find your horse almost instantly reaching more into the bit since he is no longer feeling a tug on the other end. What he will feel is a more consistent positive traction, that being the weight you are carrying in your forearms. Is really hard to explain, but trust me on this one. The difference in your horse's movement will be night and day. They really seem to appreciate the new feel of contact.


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Sky & Puck-

THANKS! I tried legnthing my reins today as well as keeping him really forward...agreed now that the shorter rein is easier on both of us. Just somthing i had to test out but I think it was a good test for him. 

I am so so bummed my video didnt cath the canter work or I would posted it...Our canter was so much better then yesterday! I pushed him forward and he stayed together!

As for inside leg to outside rein and queing for canter and such thatis the best way for Ollie right now. he has this pretty down as of the last couple weeks and I would hate to switch it up and have him give me the frazzled response after all hes trying so hard I really know and feel he is.

As for the person posted about him blowing and snorting menaing he is fresh....wrong. with Ollie he is relaxing and breathing, not in amanic way. If he was fresh I wouldnt have been able to get so much good work out of him.

I had a lesson schedualed for tomorrow but work and HAVE to work so I will just go out in the evening!

AS for my Uppper body. thats somthinmg thats really beena battle since my car accident...its really frustrating but today I really kept in mind and work on not only realxing them back but down, I imagined a deep tissue massage belive it for not haha It awlways make smey body melt down so I kept reminding myself melt down, breath but stretch up.

I think in the fallowing weeks I well really be able to work on my uppoer body, get these trantitions down even better and go on to working on leg yeilds. 

I really kept changing things up today, I did try the canter spirals and he responded better then I thought he might. I didnt throw trantitions in yet, maybe next time. I felt he could break and wanted to push him forward and make sure any downward trantition was to be MY idea.

As for leaning...somehow I didnt see this in the video but that doesnt surprise me at all, I used to lean badly with Klassy in the canter....ZOOM ZOOM pony that girl was! Much dofferent now iwth this guy and how his canter has devolped.

Now somthing intresting that maybe you guys can point out and help me with...my right side, shoulder blade to neck is sore. as in knots everywhere and sensitive to the touch and as the day has gone on is reached down into the back of my ribs on the right side. I sttetched my upper body before getting him going today, NOT ENOUGH I can tell but is there somthing I am doing when going one way or another to cause this? All the trantition work?

Could be that the first canter trantition we had todat he pulled very very hard and I sat him down so fast I alsmot though hed actually sit. I was not happy but that was the only "hitch" in our rode nad it was a good lesson for both of us haha I wasnt expecting is and almost flew forward out of the saddle and he now knows to respect me better...we did some bog trot to halt trantitions fallowing that epsidoe right away and wow....he halted. RIGHt when I asked. Mawhaha

Impulsion..... somthing in our sitting trot we need to astablish I think. I know its a slower less tracking fro the kind end maybe and me holding to much, not pushing enough....I'm in my safe zone and this week he has become comfortable with me sittiing much longer so Ill slowly push him into the trot I get when I post to it. 

We did sprials in our canter, figure eights in our trot work, trantions galore. Also in our canter I worked on changing rein at X and he loved this exersise. was thinking to hard about to much at one point and had to litterally talk him through it and exergate but slow my aids down. He was ready to keep going by the end of our ride today I worked him hard! 

Last couple weeks I have gone out knowing my plan....ABC...XYZ and more and more it happens like I plan and better each time.

Going back to our halt trantitions....today I got the better feeling I was getting yesterday that I played with....I put a certin amount of weight in my stirrups without tipping heels up or leaning my body forward or pinching my knees, cluck and or tap him into it and sit really deep....thats how I got those square halts! I really felt my body and mind click with that and I was able to keep a soft contact the whole time through my inside rein and really ride through to my outside rein. 

I am so so so so so...SO pleased with his progress and effort in our rides. Still cant wipe this smile off my face.

I really feel like we have imporved just from Febuary and then even more from where we where this time last year...haha what a joke that was lol

Been going back in forth with work and riding and have another barn job I start this weekend so I dont know when i will get to post video and photo again but am very glad I did so I could get your guy's feedback and time on all this!

We will do you good and work hard to show you improvemnt again!

enough woth writing a novel, THANKS
Sam


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*Ollie Say's Thanks!*

Thanks Again!


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

MyBoyPuck said:


> Anebel, could you please expand upon this? Is this in relation to collection? It is completely inverted from what instructors drill into us of inside leg to outside rein. If I'm reading it correctly, it involves using the outside rein aid before the inside leg aid and the not the other way around. Is that right?


So many instructors get very caught up on this - which is correct up to about first level, however, eventually we do need to start developing straightness and the horse going forward from both legs.
When beginning the lateral work (SI here for an example), riders use so much inside leg that they push the haunches right out and off the line, and the shoulders over the outside aids as well. The result is an incorrect SI with ineffective outside aids and a more crooked horse carrying less weight on his inside hind - the opposite of that we want the SI to do. 
By riding with the outside aids on and the inside leg relaxed at the girth, it allows the outside leg positioned behind the girth to keep the haunches tracking straight forward, and to keep the shoulder in line (that both shoulders are standing upright, no leaning to the outside) and then, the inside hind is forced to come under the horse's center of gravity and carry more weight.
I'm finding it hard to find video examples of each, mostly out of laziness. But you feel the difference between the horse pushing and carrying, and having effective outside aids and an effortless half halt in the correct way, and feeling the horse fall right over the shoulder and having no control the incorrect way.


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

TRUE AHAH MOMENT FOR ME
THANKS

This will really help me!!!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

That actually makes a lot of sense


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Sky... dunno bout you but kind of feeling the oh duh moment thing right now haha

we learn somthing new everyday... haha


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Right? My new instructor was trying to preach that to me and I was kind of like "oh... well what's the reasoning behind that?" Finally it clicks. Thanks again anebel.

I know Sky, being where he is in his training now, benefits from inside leg to outside rein cause of his tendency to drop shoulders in either direction. But In the video it looks as though Ollie would benefit from using outside leg to wrap him around your inside leg.

Sky isn't there yet... nor am I.


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## picup436 (Nov 22, 2012)

Sorry to hijack, but Anebel, if you are ever wanting a holiday in west aust and want to make a bit of $$$, I'd love for you to give me a lesson or 2!!!


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Lol picup - I was planning on doing the CDI Sydney this year but unfortunately the Derby was not offered.
Tell them next year they need to let the international riders back! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Anebel! You are freakin brilliant! I was out cantering in the fields today and decided to try some half halts "backward" of the way I was taught. I restricted the whoa (outside shoulder) a split second before the go (inside hind), and voila! Possibly my first real half halt at the canter. Like you said, it kept the horse straight so the half halt was free to go through. What a feeling that was. The impulsion that came from behind was like a wave. It was 5 hours ago, and I'm still grinning like an idiot!

Klassic, sorry to threadjack. Just wanted to put it here since it came from advice that pertained to you.


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

No thy is so awesome! I to had he same experience now two days in a row and its really really helped my halt trantitions tremendously I just haven't had the time to post about it! 

Thanks so much Anebel!


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