Another weekend with Jessica

Jessica came for lessons again this weekend; this time I singed up for both days. Let me just say, I have quite a horse! He was just fantastic!! Jessica evaluated what where we were since last month. Warren was much more responsive to half halts, moving off my leg and staying straight. He even moved rounder and more correctly collected at the trot. We continued to worked on my position; getting longer in my leg and thigh by dropping my stirrups and staying light and not clamping with my leg. I also got corrected in my seat, to rock forward more off my pockets and more on the jean seam, so to speak. The analogy of a string on my head pulling me up towerds the celing helped me think about stretching tall. We continued to work on Warren getting straight in his body by using some counter bending exercises as well as the "nose to the wall" exercise and asking him to leg yield down the long side while using the outside rein to keep his shoulders straight and using the inside leg to ask him to step over. We also worked on making the square to get him to use his hid in more in the corners. The canter work is progressing; he is no longer loping around the arena with a lathergic sometimes 3 beat canter, he has a true 3 beat now; it just needs to be developed, but it will come. I feel like I have much more direction now and a more developed plan of how to achive my dressage goals. I am quite encouraged and motivited in my riding. And I had a tired horse at on Sunday afternoon! We have much homework to do before next month when Jessica returns... But as I said; I am much more confident anc clear in my schooling objectives.

Warren needs raingear too!

The rain is here and given the option of a dry stall with a roof over his head or a wet, rainy, no cover turnout, Warren will chose to stand out in the rain! I pull up to the barn in the afternoons and all the way down the line, I see horses standing nice and dry in their stalls with their heads poking out their doors looking into their paddocks - yeah choosing to stay inside! All except Warren. I see his big ol body hanging out his stall door and his head poking in!

After only a week of sopping wet towels, saddle pads and excessive squeegeeing I have broken down and decided I need to put a sheet on Warren for the winter if he is going to continue to enjoy the great outdoors (he and I are alike - we rather be outside, no matter what the weather!) I have been adamant about not blanketing him as he has a marvelous thick winter coat that keeps out the elements very well. Plus the fact I haven't found a good turnout sheet that fits him well enough to wear for long periods of time. However, the constant wet and his affinity for standing out in it is getting to be a major issue with my riding time and our (washing machine and dryer). I decided if I can find a good lightweight sheet that fits him properly, I would give it a shot. With extensive searching, I have a found a specially -designed- for- draft- horses turnout sheet, it is called a "big fella"; what a great name! I am anxiously waiting for its arrival!
In the mean time, I deal with this....