Imax in October 2008

Imax in October 2008
Originally uploaded by yvettef

I am teaching Imax to collect, after all this time of allowing him to travel "flat". He needs to go on contact -- to be stretching his neck and arching down ot reach for. the bit. It is an incremental process, but he "gets" it and is making progress quickly. He especially "gets" asking for extension, and is starting to move with schwung - a suspended, free swinging trot on contact. Well, kind of anyway. I can see how it can happen now.

Compare with this photo taken at the Dressage show this last June.


He is flat, with his nose pointed out and his neck in a "U" instead of rounded and down.





Then this one taken in October:


Okay, so not a HUGE difference, but it is significant -- he is going on contact, his nose is perpendicular to the ground, and he is learning to reach his back legs under himself, to raise his back and "carry" me. Sometimes I feel his back rise in reaction to my aids. Yes, that is a good thing.