Full Steam Ahead!

So J has now been on the magnesium supplement for a few weeks and he has shown definite improvement that even my barn owner and trainer have commented about.  His muscles are less twitchy and tight, he has a better attitude and is much more forward from the very beginning of the ride.  It is pretty amazing that this little bit of supplement can make such a huge difference in a horse!  It's a relief to have my horse back.

We are still working on the same things- trying to keep him bent correctly through his back, loading his hind end and keep his neck straight and stretched.  Shelley rode him last week and the biggest issue was his false bend while tracking to the left.  I directly contribute this to my riding flaws, which I am trying to correct.  While going to the left, I tend to collapse my inside hip, which then takes my right seatbone out of the saddle.  Then when I use my inside leg to ask for bend, he just falls out the right side or if I use my outside aids to ask for a turn, he is either ignoring the aid or falling in.  So I have been really trying to be more aware of this and keep both seatbones in the saddle and no collapse.  It definitely makes an immediate difference!  It's a work in progress.

I must say that our first level work is really coming along.  His canter lengthening to the left is really doing better- he sits back and really lifts with the shoulder- it is such a great feeling!  And best of all, he is coming back to me really nicely while staying supple.  The canter lengthening to the right isn't as reliable, but we are working on it.  His leg yields are really improving as well.  He is keeping his balance point farther back and becoming more adjustable in his lateral work.  In the 1-3 test, it calls to come around the short side of the arena and then immediately from the corner to the center line of the arena, so the problem was that he was crooked in the turn and then I didn't have enough time to straighten him, flex him in the new direction and then leg yield and get to the center line.  Or else he would run out of impulsion and it was not flowing.  But now he is much more responsive and active, which makes it fairly easy!  So that is really exciting!

I have no doubt that we will be ready to do our freestyle this year, which I am really looking forward to finally using my movement and showing it!  I am all ready to show 1-2 and 1-3 at Fields and Fences at the end of the month and hopefully I can get one qualifying score that weekend.  Then I'm shooting for the Fields and Fences show in March for (hopefully) my second qualifying score and then I can start working on my freestyle to show in the spring.  My show season goal is to qualify for regionals at 1st level AA and 1st level freestyle and to compete at Region 2 championships, which are being held at the Kentucky Horse Park.