Week 2

So it is 12:30 my time and I have already ridden 4 horses including another great lesson on Bentley.

I started my day riding a 5 yr old. He was very tricky this morning everything I tried he dismissed, I was in a losing battle with him. I finally went back to the walk let him have the reins for a bit and then picked him up and stayed at the walk to try and make him "soft sideways" as Herr Schmidt would say. It felt like 10 minutes but was really 2 and he gave in the jaw, after he gave it was like someone flipped the switch and we were back to where we have been progressing to this past 4 days of riding.


Then was a 6 yr old that I believe Herr Schmidt bred himself. While Elsa and I are walking around I notice that all 4 horses in the ring are mares, that never happens at Lendon's barn. There are more mares here then I have ever seen. Herr Schmidt rides at least 4 a day. Back to Elsa, she is a nice mover but a little stiff on her right side. She has a harder time developing the bend on the right and when the right is the outside rein she likes to hang on it. I will say that riding her is helping me to develop a deeper seat which Herr Schmidt is always after me for!! I have gotten much better but not without the price of being very sore.


Next was a 15 yr old mare that is here for some training and then to be sold. She has a super comfy canter and I really try to think about my seat when I ride her. She is very stiff and a little pushy but today was my 2nd ride on her and it was much improved.


Now for the fun part, my lesson on Bentley. The warm up is always the same posting trot making him soft in the jaw sideways, then short walk break before the canter making him soft sideways again. The right side has been amazing but the left he starts out a little tighter in the jaw. Once I can trot and canter him with both sides of his jaw soft we do a short walk break then back to the canter. We develop good half halts which used to be a pain but now I just sit and Ok mom I can collect says Bentley! Then we go on to do our half passes across the whole ring, which I was not easy when we first came but is getting better and better. I am able to half halt him on the outside rein without losing the sideways motion or the bend! After the half passes we go on to our schooling canter pirouettes. The left is always good now, its so easy for him. The right is a bit harder and I have to work more on keeping his hind legs jumping and swinging in. Easier said than done, it is much improved but still not as good as the left. Today for the first time I did 2 tempis with Bentley and they were perfect and easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After the 2's Hubertus had me go on the diagonal and ask for two 1 tempis, now I have never done 1 tempis on Bentley so I had no idea what to expect. So here I go on the diagonal making sure he is waiting and collected and not rushing, then I swing my left leg back and quickly swing my right leg back while I am putting my left forward, and wam bam we did two 1 tempis!!!!!!! Very exciting moment for Bentley and I. Then he had us do another 2 and Bentley did then effortlessly! Tomorrow if Bentley is as good about the two 1 tempis as he was today Hubertus said we can try for 3! We then went on to our trot work and the trot is slowly getting more swing it is harder than the canter for him so the trot progress isn't as big as the canter.


After lunch today I was able to ride a 2002 Trakehner stallion who has shown and won at Prix St George. Yesterday I had the honor of lunging him and he was crazy and today when Marcus asked if I could ride him I was a little nervous to say the least. Turns out though that he is super to ride. He has really nice gaits and I was able to concentrate on creating a good connection and my seat. Herr Schmidt also had me work on creating more swing in the trot so I can hopefully take that feeling and put it to use on Bentley!

My parents and brother are flying home today which leaves me all alone here in Germany. My roommate Endel doesn't come back from holiday at home until Jan 3rd so I am alone at the apartment but I must say I am doing quite well. I went grocery shopping and have a well stocked fridge and I can sometimes understand the Germany TV shows. Hope all is well back home.

Meg