Dressage: Game of Breaking Bad Habits

....and teaching Twister to do the work instead of wearing my ass out.

Schooled dressage today. First time I've really done any dressage/flat work since the clinic. It's rained and I've been lazy and it's been hot and I've been working and I've been going here there and everywhere. I got on with the firm decision to not get back into my bad habits and to stick to my guns and not let Twister run the show.

Dressage Day is not Do Whatever Twister Feels Like Day

We worked on a 10 meter circle W/T. It only took about 5 seconds before he was pulling and dragging ass. So I just pushed him out off my leg and tried to get him moving out at a good clip before I even touched his mouth. He's just lazy! And he knows when a higher authority is around. No trainer in the middle of the ring? Ok be a lazy ass. I need to dig back out my metal Prince of Wales spurs. The plastic ones are completely ignored and my leg can only be strong for so long before it fall off.........

Once Twister was moving out in front of my leg, I shortened the reins and asked him to lift his back and bend. There was so much fighting about this. And when I held firm and didn't give in, leaning forward and letting the reins go as I normally do, he decided he'd just get behind my leg and drag ass again. Spur spur, tap tap with the whip, shiver shiver with my legs. I'd get him moving out and then ask again for him to carry himself and be round and he'd go "well when we're at home I get away with murder so uhhhh no I don't think I want to do work" and we'd start all over. 

Finally, FINALLY after quite a while of all this he was finally giving in, and deciding that maybe he should do some of the damn work after all. I could feel the change. He moved off my leg, started to bend and did a pretty good job staying in front of my leg. 

finally getting somewhere..?

He's going to learn. I'm going to have to work hard, but the fun and game are over. He can't fake being a dressage pony anymore. One good lesson and I'm on to him. He's going to learn he can't do whatever the hell he wants anymore. He might have been able to fool me at one time, but he won't ever be able to fool a judge. Gotta get our shit together, kid!

As a reward for finally letting me end on a good note he got to canter a couple rounds and hack out down the road and visit a horsey buddy.

SITUPANDSTRETCHDOWNDAMNIT!

free walkin'

(i don't know what i did to highlight it white..... so this post looks stupid)