Lesson Revelations

2. It's not about getting them into frame - it's about the horse yielding to pressure: bit pressure, leg pressure etc.

Once I realized this, my schooling sessions with Farley started to get better. Instead of thinking that she needed to be on the bit with her head on vertical, I thought of it as - she needs to yield to bit pressure when I ask. Same for the circle. The bend is secondary, what I really care about is that when I apply my inside leg, she moves away.

3. A clean horse means a clean (kinda - more like "reusable") saddle pad after a ride.

I've started bathing my Farley the day before the lesson and then throwing a sheet on her to keep her clean. I spend less time grooming and it shows good presentation at the lesson. It shows and that I care about and take seriously my lessons. As a side benefit, I'm doing laundry less often for the pads I use during the lessons!

I'm a knock-the-dirt-clods off type of gal. My grooming routine consists of running my hands over the saddle areas to make sure there's nothing that will irritate or rub. On a summer coat I'll give a quick swipe of the brush, and in the winter I'll rub down with a curry. One day a week it's nice to pamper the pony.