I had a great lesson on Jasper today. Sometimes I get frustrated with myself because he is such different ride from Teddy. Teddy was very heavy and it took a lot to get him going. Jasper is much more responsive and reacts to leg aids so I have to re-learn how to ride, undoing muscle memory of 8.5 years of riding Teddy. 

Today we worked on leg yielding. I have sit up tall, don't lean forward because that puts him on the forehand. We focused on leg yielding to the left, moving him off my right leg. Our right side is the dominant side for both of us, so have to soften the side up. I need to be more clear with my leg aid so he doesn’t lean on my right leg. Half halt and bump with the leg. Keeping his left shoulder parallel to the fence otherwise we are not leg yielding we are doing a diagonal line. 

​I rode Jasper for the first half of the lesson and Debbie rode him for the last half the lesson. 
I have to work on keeping my core tight so I am in centered in my position. He is pulling me forward by dropping his nose. 
What are the pre-signs or warnings that he will nose dive?
-he changes the pace
-he leans against my right leg
-he bulges with his left shoulder on the circle
-he twist his neck and points his nose to the right
By nose diving he is using his neck to balance. As I rider I need to keep him balanced by using my core so he can use his core.
We talked about working on both ends of the spectrum of trot, going slow and fast within the trot. If we go too fast, ask for too much impulsion, it can lead to injuries. He is not very strong yet. We are building up his strength by going slow and getting him balanced so he can build a foundation of strength. It’s like physio or yoga for horses to go slow and keep him balanced and using his core. 
It was interesting for me to watch Debbie ride him. I could see, from a new perspective, his tendencies such as twisting his neck to the right. I could see how correcting his balance with inside leg supported him to be in a round frame. 
Having us both ride Jasper in the same lesson helped me see the areas I need to improve on (tight core and staying centred), how Jasper can be corrected with inside leg and outside rein so he is in a nice round frame, and how effective the aids can be.

Brandy Saunders Lesson Feb 6
We worked on transitions within the transitions, slowing the trot to almost walk.
Getting stable in my position, not titling forward, strong in the core.
When Jasper tilts his head I put my legs on with a strong outside rein, to get him balanced. Don’t let him bulge with outside shoulder, means his neck is bending and therefore not bending from the middle, his sides.
This will prepare us for the canter, to keep him balanced, using half halts with a strong core and holding my position.
Exciting News! Brandy Saunders is offering equestrian lessons via PIVO. Get in touch if you are interested. https://www.facebook.com/crescentvalleystables/