Finding the floaty trot... it's a technical term.

Exercises at the canter always improve the quality of Tilly's trot and my goal during yesterday's ride was to rediscover the soft, lofty feel that we lost when the saddle started pinching Tilly's withers in July.

We accomplished that and much more!!  One of the characteristics that I love about this mare is that she really participates in the training.  Riding her is like having a conversation.  I'm not sure I can paraphrase, but it goes something like this:

Me:  "Sweetie, can we get a little more activity behind in the lateral movement?"
Tilly:  "Sure! but I feel a stuck with your thigh in my way."  (her hind leg swats at my leg)  "Ok, now soften the left rein... Not too much!  I kinda need you to hold me on the right... Hey!  don't tip forward!        Here i go!!!!  weeeee!"

She's pretty fun with a strong dose of bossy.  But she also enjoys the challenge of dressage and loves figuring out the exercises.  I love the creativity that she requires.  Doing any one thing for too long get boring for both of us.

Yesterday, I worked on transitions.  She was a little clumsy feeling in the trot/ walk transition and I'm sure it had to do with increasing the collection without stopping the forward movement.  Over the weekend I focused on rediscovering her big, pushing walk stride  while stretching and suppling the neck.  We set some poles out because that gives her a destination and well... she likes understanding the exercise before she will commit to it.   

Very simply, I asked her to walk in front of the pole and step over it without leaning in the connection to my hand.  She was expected to maintain an activity in the walk that was on the verge of trotting.  Once I found a supple horse here... we moved on to Canter/ Walk transitions.  Tilly was getting it so I decided to increase the difficulty by asking on a really, really straight line.  This might sound easy, but Tilly is a slinky and walking a slinky on a straight line is no simple task.  When I asked she gave me the simple change right away.

We moved on to canter half pass and I worked some of the exercises that we were doing pre- saddle debacle to really rock her back onto her haunches.   The working pirouette did the trick and I was on cloud nine as she flowed sideways and maintained the connection.  A flying change was just waiting on me and so I tried the aid as quietly as possible.  She was perfectly on my aid and changed immediately!!!  Did she buck you ask?  Uhh, well..... She didn't not buck :)

 After a short break I practiced a little trot half pass and finished with the medium trot I've missed so much!!  I love how floaty she has become - thank you dressage!