At first, we were supposed to have ridden out yesterday, but there were some pretty dark clouds hanging around so we ended up having a regular dressage lesson instead. It didn’t actually end up raining, but most of us were happy to get a proper lesson anyway. Though Murphy would no doubt have preferred a little trek in the woods.

However, that’s not to say he wasn’t having fun with the dressage. He certainly felt quite eager and was easily woken up to a more alert and engaged state. We did some final bits of polishing on a piece of the dressage program, namely riding down the centre line. Just riding a straight line really pushes home the point of how hard some of the fundamentals of riding can be. Like straightness and forward engagement.

I thought I was doing pretty well, but then Murphy started getting a little too charged and I guess that I reacted by just trying to settle him instead of riding through it, so again I was nagged for being too nice. I don’t think I had been, up until then, since he was moving ahead so well. But I guess I do still sometimes do the wrong thing when he tries to get away from work by going too much forward. I need to get used to riding through that, just as I would ride through him not going forward enough. Even if I don’t get nervous at all from Murphy being frisky, I imagine its ingrained into me to back off when I get too much of a response.

Once I changed my strategy, however, he gave me some very nicely engaged trot. He’s such fun to ride, because its such a marked difference when he starts working. You can really tell when you’re doing something right. Or more or less right, anyway. I did get a little over-active at the end, and had some issues getting myself to rest while not allowing him to rest. But, the fine-tuning continues. And on Friday I will be competing in our club championships on Murphy. Its a really small affair, but I will be just as nervous anyway. Like a dog show, except with jumps. And horses.