New Year, New Goals!

I'm back after a bit of a hiatus. I've been really busy studying for my GRE and riding a lot. I addition to regular lessons I have been doing monthly lessons with FEI judge, Janet Foy. She has been really great about encouraging me to take my riding to the next level and to try and get my qualifying scores for selection trials for World Equestrian Games. Also on the horizon, I am going to spend mid-February to mid-March training with Debbie McDonald in California and riding in my first Para-Equestrian CDI. Werther has been doing really well, Sarah is going to ride him one more day a week for a little bit, to help get him a little more supple, now that I am capable of establishing the forward on my own.

This is what I wrote to Debbie about my current training goals:

To improve my ability to ride effectively. I need to get my hands out of the way so they don't interfere with the forward but still have connection. I also need to sit further back, and rewire my way of thinking a little bit, when I get my self into trouble I get into to more of a hunter position, which is not effective when you are trying to do dressage!

To improve Werther's lateral suppleness. He is really good longitudinally and has really nice extensions but I have to work really hard to get him soft laterally. I am always looking for ways to improve his suppleness.

Increase Werther's responsiveness to the forward aids. Werther is by nature a quiet horse, which is good. I don't have the finesse to handle something really hot with my disability, but I would like to see more promptness in my requests for him to move forward. Some of this problem may be because my balance and aids aren't the same as a typical rider and he gets a little confused. For example, right now I am working on walk canter transitions and I have to use a little kiss voice aid, I would like to eventually get away from that.

Improve may ability to preform movements that challenge me. In the para-FEI tests, if I had to pick the three movements I am probably going to have the lowest scores on/and or most difficultly performing they would be the right lead counter canter, the turn on the haunches, and the walk canter transitions

My showing goals for the next year are:

To successfully ride a CDI (just halt to halt without any errors)

Get my 60% at a CDI to ride in selection trials

Ride my first freestyle (I have to have one ready for the CDI)

Move up to first level (i'd like to revisit training level test 4 and see how I score on that before I do)

Have fun!