Friday and Saturday's rides

The guys pulled Werther's mane for me and clipped his ears and nose. He doesn't look quite so much like a backyard horse now!

I think I must have hit bottom on my lesson on Tuesday because things seem to be improving now.  He was still a little difficult on Friday, but I was able to get him to walk around  the ring once both directions with his neck exactly where I wanted it. I rewarded him by letting him canter nice and forward and did a few lead changes, which he was very pleased about. The biggest issue I am having right now, is that Werther likes to think he cannot go forward and in a frame at the same time, and I have to convince him otherwise. Today he was just excellent, I was able to get him quickly in a frame and stay there without a whole lot of matinence.  Sarah kept telling me was to let him fill up the outside rein. The main thing is pushing him away from my inside leg, because he want to be lazy and fall in rather than stay straight where he needs to be straight and bend where he needs to bend. We did some lateral work a few leg yields and shoulder in. The shoulder in was much better, I think I have a better idea of getting my hands in the right place so I can get the bend thorough the shoulder and not overbend in the neck. We worked on the sitting trot for a little bit, that was really challenging to me, because years on huntseat riding to me I need to be tight in my leg and hold myself into position. Now, with dressage I am being told to be loose though my leg and that looseness will allow me to stay with the motion of the horse, that is a hard thing for me to trust. We worked on my seat at the canter too, I'm used to wanting to get automatically up in half seat, but I am slowly reschooling myself. I talked to Sarah about doing some shows this summer, she said they do about 2 a month in the summer and tend to stay local, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa which would suit me really well.