First dressage lesson

I had my first dressage lesson yesterday.  Nicole had me work on keeping the horse on the bit at a trot and stopping my feet from turning outward.  My legs are used to doing whatever is comfortable, so turning my knees inward for the lesson made me sore pretty quickly.  It was a good feeling, though.  I hope I improve enough so I can start competing by next spring.

When I rode as a kid, I don't think I fully understood what I was doing.  Since I started riding when I was 8, I probably took everything I learned for granted.  Now that I'm doing it again as an adult, I'm fully realizing the things I am doing that affect the horse and how we are communicating.  When I ride for the polo club, I admit to just being a passenger rider, but now I can start being more than that.

Needless to say, I had a really good lesson even though we didn't do much and I was on a lunge line.  It was an incredible feeling to notice the changes in the horse with half halts, leg yields, and playing with the reins to get the horse to be more round.

It was amazing!  I can't wait to do more.

I found this video of my instructor on one of my favorite horses at the barn.  Unfortunately, the horse was recently sold and will be leaving us soon... He's such a cutie.