Solene - april 24, 2015

We have been keeping focussing on cadence and impulsion. But last Friday's session has stressed even more than before how respecting his right shoulder aching is paramount, and that the intensity of pain might change from one day to the other. It convinced me that a very progressive warm-up was mandatory. Otherwise, if you ask him something that mobilizes his right shoulder too early in the session such as:
- a bend on the right, he will show his pain by jerking his forehand,
- a request to trot not gentle enough, he will go into canter, or try a sort of unrequested passage.
- a request to speed up right lead canter, he will retain himself. Insisting may trigger attempts to defences such as kicking or bucking.
As I mentioned earlier, all these observations clearly show that it is not bad will, but really stiffness and pain. I had taken great attention to this before but this time, I noted that he reacted more sensitively. Maybe it was due to the fact that he had spent the previous day resting in the paddock. And maybe also his hormones springtime surge may have diminished his patience.
This pain problem seems akin to the one of Kelso, Mrs. E. Haillot's lovely grey that she mentions in her blog 'Connivence' referenced on my front page. This blog is a remarkable source of information, experience and education towards the'Belle Equitation' that I use much. I warmly encourage anyone dedicated to good horsemanship  in reading and watching  it as one of the best dressage diary that I ever found.
Coming back to Solene, and following E.H method, I looked for descente d'encolure on very light contact, and walked him for ten minutes without any other request than a few halts, followed or not by three strides reining back, mainly on the main track, with a few voltes in the corners. I did the same in trot, trying to transition from walk to trot without change in his low head carriage. A few halts again, with a few reining back followed by reversing immediately into trot. This lasted 15 ' and worked beautifully. I could feel Solene relaxing while at the same time gaining rhythm and cadence as well as elasticity in his strides. I could then go into 'regular' work, with shoulder-ins at walk and trot, transition canter/walk/canter on both leads, La Gueriniere'square etc..and good speed variations at posting trot, nearing at times extended trot. We ended up with a canter half pirouette on the right lead, and a lovely doux passage and then a long free walk on looped reins and a several minutes quiet halt to finish.
Lots of patting on the whithers and the croup, a few carrots and a good brushing in the stall after a lot of rolling in the straw were the reward of an excellent and instructive session.