Of Self Carriage and Collection

The major pearl of wisdom from the Bushager award: if I had to choose only one facet of the entire immersion period, it would be Delphi's weekly schooling by a professional. Having Karen Brown ride Delphi on a regular basis was the single most important aspect of both Delphi's and my own learning and improvement. The consistent guidance of a qualified expert is the best, and probably only, way for a horse to move up the levels. My thanks to Karen! (Que the Jefferson's theme music.)

Click here to read my Bushager grant immersion program article, also published in the HDS "Collective Remarks" (see page 27).
The following photos from the immersion program relate to the article:

Giving the rein to allow self carriage:

Karen Brown schooling Delphi. Note the supple poll, which is the highest point:

Active hindquarters jumping under in canter, displaying relative elevation. My hands could be raised to allow Delphi to be more supple through the poll:

For the related entry, click here.

Shoulder In, Finally!

Today I finally "got it" for shoulder in, with the following exercise:
Begin on a large circle in normal trot. Do shoulder out around the circle with the horse flexed to the outside. Rhythmically step down into the "inside" (of the bend) stirrup, with your leg at or in front of the girth, to "hook" your leg into and around the horse. Then go on a short straight line from the circle, where you will be in shoulder in to the outside of the circle. Then continue around the circle in shoulder out, interspersed with period of straight line of shoulder in to the "outside." Voila, we finally got a "very good" shoulder in! Thank goodness for great trainers who give us just the exercises we need to learn!