Last Saturday and Sunday, Reinbow Dressage Center and Pine Ridge Stables were hosts to a clinic by Alison Sader Larson. Dobby and I participated in the clinic and were pleased with the instruction we received.
Heidi and her mare Stella work at Reinbow with Alison. In our two lessons Alison worked with us on becoming more forward so that Dobby's hips were in full swing. This was achived by taking the rail and pushing very forward, more forward than we would normally ride in our tests. After full forward, and throughness equally in both reins was achieved we went on to work with lateral movements. I'm sorry to say Saturday or lateral moves weren't that great.
Sunday, well, Sunday was a different story. On Sunday we maintained our forward trot but were able to achieve better lateral movements. Our shoulder-ins were wildly better, to the point that Dobby, Alison and I worked on Half-pass.
For half-pass Alison had me ride shoulder-in down the wall, then ask for a few steps of half-pass using my outside leg, then once he moved over 3 or so feet straight into shoulder in, and then a couple more steps of half pass. We had really brilliant moments. Very inspiring. Sunday we also worked on counter canter. Working the exaggerated forward trot the day before was extremely helpful in achiveing better quality movements all around. It will be an excersize I return to often.
Thanks to Kim and Ann at Pine Ridge for hosting Dobby and I for the weekend.
Also thanks to Heidi for bringing Alison back to Nebraska.