Baby Steps

As you might know, I am a huge fan of Jane Savoie. I have been following her advice through videos, audios, and online instruction for 3 years. I made tons of progress with the Old Man before he left me, and I feel like her techniques also help with the Fancy Pony, as well.
Due to this year's chronic pain from my bulged discs, my jump work has been touch and go. We haven't made the progress I had hoped to make.
Allow me to be more specific. SHE has progressed wonderfully! I feel like I have stagnated. This year has been rife with frustration. Carrying that frustration into the saddle won't help, so I do my best to set those feelings aside and revel in the fact that I am capable of riding at all!

Aside: after a total of 5 injections so far this year, I've been referred to a surgeon. Surgeon doesn't think surgery is called for and referred me to physical therapy. THIS physical therapy is different than previous PT. No wonderful things like electric stimulation or traction... This is the McKenzie Method. I'll have to see how it works as we go through the program!

Back to the riding:
As I ride, I have been constantly evaluating my dressage. The jumping helps with elasticity within the gaits, but I began to ask myself: how can I get this quality without jumping?
How  can I consistently get this feeling?

This trot makes me drool!

So, I've been asking myself: do I have rhythm? Suppleness? Connection? 

Then I consider the collective marks from my tests. Where did the judges think I could use improvement? 

Always "acceptance of the bridle" and "suppleness of the back".

Somewhere, there is resistance. And I am determined to improve our communication to break through these areas of resistance. I've gone back to Jane's suppling exercises each and every ride.

I start by marching on a loose rein just to get everything moving. 

Once I feel like the kinks are smoothing out, I get her neck parallel to the fence and practice our lateral poll-suppling exercises. This is such a tiny thing, but I think it has been an area of resistance for a while. I think she is loosening up a little more with each ride!

We start walking again, and I test the poll-suppling in motion and set up for the "Valium exercise" also known as "+7/+1". I usually start off with +3/+1, then go to +5/+1, then finally arrive at +7/+1. I have been doing this every ride and at every gait!

Suddenly, I found myself on a horse with more thrust! This was my cross-country horse in the dressage arena!

step through, much?

I reevaluate my checklist...

Rhythm?

Suppleness? 

Connection? 

Holy cow! How much more quickly I arrive at the straightness work!

Now, I can start my spirals, shoulders-in, leg yields! All the while, I keep checking my first 3 ingredients.  If at any point I loose one, I abandon whatever I am doing and return to those basic elements. Suddenly, it seems the flat work is becoming sufficiently challenging to engage that Fancy Pony! 

Rather, I am communicating more effectively so that the Fancy Pony *understands* the challenge and can actually cooperate to achieve our common goal!!

See?  She is thrilled, too!