Westwood Story: Dressage Lesson #5 -More Canter Transitions

AN HONEST ATTEMPT AT DRESSAGE...
Woodie and I are 5 lessons into our Dressage training....Our regular trainer, Nicky Vogel, recommended we take a turn with her mentor, Debbie Bowman. We hauled out to Nicky's barn for the lesson and had a great time! We are working on our number one weakness: canter transitions....Now that AQHA has added Dressage to the showbill, we hope to take our act to Congress in a coupe years...wish us luck, and feel free to comment! Just remember, I have no idea what I am doing up there, so please be kind....lol

A LITTLE HISTORY...
I purchased Woodie as a long yearling and started him under saddle as a 2 year old...I put about 60 rides on him his 2 year old year, and we were making a lot of great progress....Alas, I am a fair weather rider, so during the winter months, our rides were few and far between....when I got back into the saddle come the summer of his 3 year old year, we picked right back up where we left off....I was pleasantly surprised by his retention and willingness...We hauled to a couple local shows where he won top honors in his flat classes....we were doing great! Unfortunately, it was all short lived when he got his shoe hooked in his paddock fencing, pulling off his shoe and half of his hoof with it....he was lame for 6 months after that, and alas, winter was upon us once again...sooooooooooo, Woodie and I picked back up late this spring where we left off almost a year prior....I wasn't sure what to expect, but as he always does, he pleasantly surprised me.....reasserting to me just why it is he's a keeper, and forever my silly pony....he's just got more heart, try, and willingness in him than I could ever hope for.....We are up to 1-2 rides per week these days....it's not much, but it's all I have time for between work, school, family, and farm....our dressage lessons began a couple months ago, and it is our goal to delve head first into eventing this fall....stay tuned!

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• westwood
• story
• leah
• roehl
• dressage
• horse
• woody
• lesson
• training
• eventing
• cross
• country

[leahroehl]

Thank you so much! I really am a lost cause up there right now...I have a lot to learn....I have been riding all my life, which may help, but when it comes to Dressage, I am green as grass...having a blast as we go though!

[xRebelRiderx]

You're great at just having 5 dressage lessons!! Your hands are so still. It's something i still have to perfect.