100th post…Update & Forecast

Update… fantastic progress on my riding lessons:

I’m very happy to announce that I’m making a lot of progress on my dressage lessons! Praise to myself, trainer and horse!

1st… canter is now a solved issue! I’m able to ask canter for both leads from trot, walk or standing. I’m also able to control the rhythm, stride, and impulsion… within the movement keeping the horse on the bit. I’m also able to reduce and increase the stride amplitude without loosing the global horse attitude. The downwards transitions are still “work in progress” though!

2nd … mobilizing shoulders and haunches is… FINALLY…totally achieved! I’m able to perform shoulder-in, leg-yeld, ranvers and travers, in a strait line or circle. This means that all lateral work just steped in to a new dimension!!! And a very pleasant one… I may say!

3rd … Flying changes! One of the last lessons I was able to performer simple changes, on one of the more advanced school masters. He is 14 year old black stallion Lusitano horse from the famous breeder “Ortigão Costa”.

4th … Pirouettes! Last lesson we started to work the pirouette at walk, and I got perfect half-pirouettes!

… I’m having this week off; because trainer is away with the EPAE for a performances week in Morocco… just can’t wait for the next lesson!


Forecast…

… next weekend I’ll be riding my way between “Casal do Rodo – Caldas da Rainha” and “Fátima” on a weekend ride!
The departure will be Saturday early morning and we are arriving Sunday at lunch time… night camping somewhere at the Serra d’Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park! Watch this space for a complete photo report next Monday!

… coming up in November 7th , the World famous Portuguese annual National Horse Fair – Feira da Golegã. Read here about Horseless Blog last year's report !