See, see, I can put my leg in the correct position...

 

I like this. It shows how he's listening to my inside leg and bending by reaching under with his inside hind leg. He's really starting to get the lateral work. And the judge seemed to really like his trot work. We even got an 8 on his entrance.

No trailer-mate this time, but Adamir was a little distracted in the ring (he bonded with the horse at the next trailer over). Actually he did the stretchy circle and was neighing at the same time, but still was stretching. So, he is improving on that front. (oh, and I guess I must say that my idea of distracted compared to others at the show was a bit different. He didn't look around or spook, but he did still neigh for almost the entire circle.)

An example of having the front end, but not the back. He no longer hollows (well, not too much), at the canter, but I need that hind end more engaged so he has balance and doesn't fall on his forehand or speed up.  The coolest thing happened this weekend. We were schooling cross country, and I asked for the canter, then put my leg back and on like my trainer has always told me to, and he engaged his hind end. It was awsome and scary and powerful. It felt like every stride he was lifting his shoulders and bringing his hind legs underneath me. After feeling that support, I almost believe that he could move up the levels in dressage. The quest will be to get it to translate into his dressage work.

This was the schooling day. In this picture we say he's so tight with his front end, one of his legs disappeared.

He is so safe jumping. He really works to be sure he's not going to hit anything.

The day of the trials. I went around the stadium course with a huge grin on my face. Our last few stadium courses have been a little sticky. That lack of impulsion thing. Well, this time he landed galloping off of some of the jumps. So forward and up in the front end. I can't remember the last time I rode a horse that launched over every jump, with his ears forward trying to find another jump. (btw, the faster you go, the harder it is to steer. Maybe he'll teach me to look at the next fence while we're jumping the previous - something my trainer's been working on for years.)

He really can bring that hind end under to support me...

One of the Novice fences on schooling day. I really worked at giving with my hands if he asked for it.

The little bench on cross country. The previous day we did the big bench, just a little scary.