Today, along with my Mom and my lovely friend Sarah, we took Rio in her first proper outing to Cheshire to a clinic with dressage rider and trainer Olivia Oakeley Dressage. Rio was a star from start to finish! To say Im thrilled with her is a understatement! So relaxed and just took everything in her stride, no silly spooking but just seemed so happy and really enjoying being out and about again!! Olivia was incredibly understanding of everything Rio had been through this last year and was still happy to help and teach me even though Rio is only up to around 10 minutes of trot work. To begin with we worked on really stretching her through her neck and back making sure that her withers where the highest point and that the tips of her ears met the height of her withers, maintaining this stretching from the trot though to the walk transition and then back up again into the trot. That I am able to move Rio around my inside leg and but also making sure I keep the straightness, especially on the right reign!! We then picked Rio up into the contact (first time since being back on board) maintaining the relaxation through her body at all times and keeping an equal contact from both legs and both reigns!! When Rio did show a few steps of tension it was important that we kept her working forward to the contact and she didnt pin her head to her chest!! Finally we had a short play with the canter and that I mustnt hold onto the front and really sit on my bum and allow Rio to move and work freely into the contact. Some homework to work on and some really lovely comments from Olivia about my very own Rio!! I found today brilliant! Not only through what I learnt but how actually I can now begin to turn what Ive always found to be a disadvantage (Rios tendency to become tense) and turn it into an advantage!! I am very grateful to Olivia and also Mom and Sarah for what I feel has been a fantastic day and a real step in the right direction. Rio really does feel great!! So here is a little video! I hope you can all enjoy it!xx
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 19:29:23 +0000
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