Refining Shoulder In

In giving the aids for shoulder in, make sure that your inside leg is rhythmically squeezing to engage the horse's inside hind. First bring the horse's shoulders in, then maintaining a lively impulsion, squeeze rhythmically with your inside leg and keep pulsing down into the inside stirrup. Be careful not to "tap" or "stomp" with your leg, as that can be misinterpreted as the cue for canter. You can reinforce your squeezing leg aid for with the whip to maintain the hind leg crossing over and to maintain the tempo.

Of Canter and Shoulder In

In schooling second level (or any level for that matter), the rider must always remember to allow frequent periods of stretch for relaxation interspersed with frequent half halts up and engaging the hindquarters for collection.
Karen gave us another excellent canter exercise: starting at C (say in right canter), travel down the long side toward B. At B make a 10 meter half circle to the centerline, and halt at G. Pause, back up, then walk a couple strides and canter left. Track left at C and travel down the opposite long side toward E. At E make a 10 meter half circle to the centerline and halt at G. Repeat for a good second (and third!) level schooling exercise.
Concerning shoulder in, Karen had us use the fence line to enforce the correct angle and straightness of the shoulder in. Begin by making a 10 meter circle while engaging the inside hind. For schooling, leg yield over to the wall (fence line in our case), bring the shoulders in and keep the trot lively by tapping the whip behind your leg, on the haunch, or on the shoulder, and by springing in the saddle each stride and "jumping" down into the inside stirrup. I MUST engage the inside hind, and get her hindquarters crossing into the outside rein.

We Took Passage Steps Today!

During our lesson Karen used a coach whip to school Delphi alongside us while I rode, first at walk then in trot. (Karen first taught Delphi what the whip meant at the halt by touching her hind leg then rewarding her for lifting that leg, and made sure that Delphi wasn't afraid of the whip by touching her on the hindquarter, belly, and neck with the whip.) To begin in walk, we collected the walk using half halts and engaging the hindquarter. Karen then showed Delphi the whip to encourage her to engage her hindquarter and lower her hindquarters. We repeated the same technique in trot, asking Delphi to jump underneath herself in self carriage. We actually got two steps of "hop" as in passage. The key is to keep your legs back with soft knees, and continue springing with your seat every stride of the trot, half halting then lightening to create A LOT of energy. Delphi carried herself so nicely, in true self carriage, as light as can be!
We also schooled walk to canter and canter to walk transitions. We used the visual aid of a jump standard and the physical aid of a repeated pattern to help her learn that we wanted WALK (no trot steps!) at a certain point. We basically rode a figure eight of two ten meter circles, asking for a simple change in the center of the figure eight. Half halting, lightening, flexions left, flexions right (make them deliberate and one rein at a time, no "sawing!"), and riding EACH stride firmly with your seat keeps the canter collected and organized, helpful in both the ten meter circles and counter canter serpentine loops.

American Trakehner Association

Thanks to Chris, I am now a lifetime member of the ATA! Delphi is registered with the ATA.

No Work Today! Here's Why:

Volker Brommann Site

Volker Bromman's site has helpful articles on dressage.

Canter in Place

In order to collect the canter, Karen had me work on an exercise she calls "imagine canter in place." Encourage the horse to stay in self carriage, while concurrently half halting with your seat yet keeping the hindquarters active and engaged, especially the inside hind. The canter will seem to slow, then put your outside leg back and ask for haunches in. Enforce the collected canter by spiraling in to a ten meter circle. This is also a good way to train the canter to walk transition.
We also practiced second level test one. Some tips:

• memorize the test because you have no time to wait for a caller; you must be preparing for each movement one or two movements ahead, and transitions happen rapidly
• shoulder in right and left both each have a coefficient of 2, so they're worth polishing
• free and medium walk with their transitions has a coefficient of 2, so make the most of this "easy" movement (especially if, like Delphi, your horse has a nice walk)
• the simple change of lead from right to left then left to right each have coefficients of 2; be straight, calm, and balanced, and be sure to show walk

Mercifully, the mediums (trot and canter) have no coefficient, but you show them on each rein so mind refining those too. May the force be with you.

The Animals' Savior

"I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread,sadness and betrayal. And I was angry. "God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?" God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly. I have done something," He replied. "I created you." copyright JimWillis 1999

Progress

Our journey continues. Watch as Delphi takes some steps in self carriage: