Pacha - july 20, 2009

I have been keeping riding Pacha daily, and I am pleasantly surprised at the speed of improvements he is showing. I would not pretend it is my merit, but rather the fact that he is getting used to the same rider, and learn the same language day after day, instead of being confused by several people 'talking' to him in random fashion. He listens carefully and give me the impression that he recognises my non-verbal messages. This is the privilege of those horsemen who own their horse and are the only ones to ride him...
Today, we worked in the large outdoor arena, in a pleasant weather. We were alone with F. on Milha who had a good ride too.
Good active walk session, nose down, circles, figures of eight. Then posting trot in horizontal placer without rushing him into hasty trot, but on the contrary looking for cadence. We came back to walk, and did some nice lateral work. In particular, we achieved several times a whole diagonal in leg yield with outward bend which was fluid and smooth. This exercise is decidedly the best introduction to lateral work for young horses. Shoulder-ins followed at both hands, with again no resistance and good understanding from Pacha of what was expected from him. We then went back to trot, sitting, and did the same lateral work which was just as successful: this is a tangible sign of the improvement seen over the last sessions. Again, it was clear that Pacha had learnt and understood; his natural anxiety level (which is higher than average) was lowered by the confidence he had gained thereby. After all, dressage is first and foremost an attempt to engage a conversation with the horse, which requires as a prerequisite the sharing of a common language, even if very simple at the beginning. This view is well put out by the author of one of my favorite websites called 'Piaffer'. This talented horseman, a former Nuno Oliveira's student shares the dressage journal of Zapa, a young Iberian horse which he is currently training. He insists quite rightly on this aspect - I find this journal very enlightening and I can only recommend it.
To finish off with Pacha today's session, we did some 'trot de travail' with cadence and horizontal placer where he could deploy the impulsion we had patiently accumulated . He went as fast as Milha, which is so much taller than him, and, what is better, with a long and regular stride. Finally we ended it with, yes, a lovely canter (following the pattern previously mentionned in an earlier post, i.e. with a time of half suspension at the beginning). The canter was round and regular - a great satisfaction when remembering the former hasty, rushed-in, hollow back gait!
A good hour spent with the right amount of effort. Pacha was dry when we went back to stables. I began to dream while taking care of him of the Barbs (which Pacha resembles in some way) of Capitaine Beudant, and could almost see Pacha turning some day in the future into Mabrouk, Hamia or Sadoun - then I awakened back to reality, and left the barn in good spirits!