USDF wants to hear from you! As you’ve advanced through your dressage training, has there been a seemingly simple movement or sequence that you struggled with the most and are thrilled to have finally conquered? Describe what this was, and what helped you overcome it!
I’m bringing my 4 year old grade Appendix along, who is not built particularly well for dressage, and this is my first time really focusing on dressage. I’ve struggled in the past with getting my horse to get truly in front of the leg and not keep dipping back. In a lesson, my instructor reminded me to relax everything when I had him going straight and the way I wanted. Not just relax my aids, but relax everything, all the way up to my jaw. The difference in the way my horse went was amazing, I had no idea how much tension I hold in the most unexpected places.
My first flying lead change! I always wanted to know what the movement felt like, and had been doing simple changes for so long. When I finally got the collection, rhythm, and timing right to ask and it was a success… Ah, it was like nothing could wipe the grin off my face!