Conditions: Absolutely beautiful day, sunny and feeling like early spring. Nice long hacks on both horses before and after the rides. Rode both in snaffle

Caddymaster So yesterday, after his massage, I noticed some striking diferences. 1) he kept trying to pull all the reins out of my hand - as if he needed to cough - something he general won't do unless he really does indeed need to cough. 2) when I did let him have all the reins he offered a super and very forward trot - like I almost had to slow him down!

In the past, I have had a vet do chiro. work on him but really didn't notice any change. I've also had him on Legend again no noticable change (except in the vet bill). The massuess(sp?) noted that he needed work on the poll the whole length of the back and both shoulders (different from what she noticed on the other horses she did that day). She did not note a sidedness.

So today, I spent even more time in the warmup letting him trot around a bit like a western pleasure horse - or like a western pleasure giraffe as his neck was in the air. Its hard for me to be patient with this. I then put him together with the transitions and 20m circles.

I then got the idea, that even though he is COMPETING in the PSG, he should be able to do all the work of the other levels - so I started doing the transitions, but thinking that they should be as if I was competing at 2nd level. This actually made me ride better as I really thought about the straightness and also, since I was thinking about making the transition at a letter, made me conscious of caddy's submission.

It is interesting as I was really focusing on the transitions - his shoulders want to go slightly right. Especially in the transition to left lead canter.

By the end of the session, he was really working great. Using his whole body with swing, suppleness and through the complete range of motion, he was equal in the reins and in front of the leg. Moving like an athlete. There was no resistance. There was joy in the motion.

So this is my new, revision of the "getting Caddy back in full fitness routine". I'm going to make sure he can do all the 2nd level work with a reasonable expectation that he would score in the 70's. Then to 3rd level. Then 4th.

I also rode him without stirrups. I haven't ridden without stirrups for AGES. Catherine Haddad has been blogging about riding without stirrups and In the book "The Simplicity of Dressage" by Johann Hinnemann & Coby van Baalen, Coby writes about how Hinnemann had her ride without stirrups even while at the Olympics. So I'm pleased to note that it was nothing for me to do this. I was worried that my muscles might object or there would be some loss of stability.....that it might make the schooling more difficult...

Notes from Eva: worked to release poll and loose and base of neck shoulders need work. topline along back - lumbar fascia tight - worked glutes and hamstrings. tail pull ok

Tia Given Caddy's successful plan I took a similar route with T T. Worked on the simple 2nd level test requirements (simple for her - I don't mean to belittle this work). As she is closer to this work than Caddy, there weren't so many discoveries. I left the changes completely alone today. I did do a little of the ultra-collected pirouette canter as it is easy for her and I want her to be strong in this.

She is for sure more difficult, heavier in the snaffle. In the double I am very conscious that there is always a slight loop in the curb. I want to get Fran's thoughts on this. I'll continue to work in the snaffle on the "lower Level" movements at least once a week.

Although to be fair, she was distracted by the fact the the arena door was open - having been closed all winter. This was fun for me as I have an internet friend "cowgirl" (I actually think that we are twins that were seperated at birth and reared apart as we are so close in our riding thoughts and ambitions - GO COWGIRL). Any way, I had gotten an email from cowgirl just last night about how she had showed PSG in an indoor and how distracted her mare was by the open door!

Can't wait to ride tomorrow