In which Winter is here, so we're all back in the arena again

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

Sidesaddle?  Nope:  warmups!

...so it's time for the Usual Suspects to re-convene in the arena for more sessions of Dressage for Endurance Riders!

I credit a ton of our success on the endurance trail last summer to the hours of lessons we took last winter.  Fiddle and I were stronger and better balanced starting the 2015 season than we've ever been...and most importantly, our communication skills were vastly improved.

Mel is right:  dressage = couples therapy.

But who can bear to spend beautiful summer days in the arena?  Not me.  It's much easier to take lessons when the sky is falling in buckets.  So, that's what we do.

Dory is the Queen.  All hail!

Hana is coming back after a bunch of time off.

Du is so happy to be back on her pony!

Individual instruction

Patty and Flower are both "mostly" healed from various boo-boos.

Flower has been in training, and Patty needs to learn where the "new buttons"
have been installed!

Monica is riding somebody new.

Mia is in training.  Monica gets to help with that.

And the Dragon and I are putting everything back together again.

Learning how to use my newly-bionic leg to give a decent cue

Our first session in the arena was mostly focused on assessment:  who needs to work on what.

Trotting on down the line

Just challenging enough to be fun

Just fun enough to be challenging!

This is only the beginning.



And it is Good.