Dan Greenwood Clinic

As you can see the Small Brown wonderpony has had a busy week />/> 
Teaching means the weekends are filled to the brim, so made the decision this year to try and fill holidays with more intensive burst of training at venues that run affiliated dressage...this was our first clinic with Dan Greenwood. Have to say I was most impressed />/> 

Apart from being a genuinely nice man, with a great, clear way of explaining things, he too had a lot of little tricks up his sleeve to help with our progression, oceans of patience and I left with a lot of ideas to work on and yet more tools in our armoury />/> 

There was so much to take away, I was blooming glad I had persuaded OH to come and video and photograph, I think a lot would have been forgotten otherwise />/> 
In fact, so much to say I am not quite sure where to start, but might just post links to videos and let you watch for yourself. He gives a great, clear commentary which explains exactly what we were trying to achieve I think />/> 

So warm up was a little different as he was quite keen to get on with trot work. Small Brown had decided the collie dogs hanging around by the door to the indoor school were definitely worth spooking at EVERY time we went past them, but we soon sorted that out. I felt much more able to build on Leanne's work from Tuesday, left leg on, flexion and forward...he quickly realised I was on it and soon gave up />/> 

We worked on a slightly longer 'working frame' to begin with, really looking at my crookedness />/> position of shoulders, hands etc.

Then onto canter warm up: Canter warm up
He was very keen for me to keep my right hand (outside) down to feel the contact on the outside rein and really focus on the weight through my left leg (very bad habit) to ensure it is used effectively. he got us doing a lot of transitions then leg yielding in the canter, which was a great warm up, certainly got the both of us thinking! />/>

He got us to start pulling together a bit in order to work towards more collection, as you can see, the hands together in front was a difficult thing for him to get his head round...but certainly made a difference and made me think:Hands together

Other rein: Canter leg yield
Warmup finished: time for a plan....'More uphill' /> 

First port of call, engaging the hind leg in the walk, thinking more 'buzzy' Activity important, inside hind stepping under, bringing the poll up: Lateral work in walk to improve the collection Imortant here not to have bend, just flexion....
Clearer picture here as we got the idea a bit more...sitting right, not bending...as my concentration fades, clearly it goes to pot /> 
Canter collection work

The best thing he said to be was think more 'WHoa, not go' in the canter transition ie: our walk needs to be active and buzzy enough to want to feel we need to have a check on the energy (not necessarily do one, but have that feeling) in the upwards transition. definitely one of many lightbulb moments today  

We moved on to keeping that uphill feeling with a more active trot: Trot and from that into some lateral work, shoulder in in particular. I clearly need to get more organised, I do in all honesty find it easier in sitting trot, but he wanted the swing through the back, so rise we did...I am a messy rider I know that, so lots to work on here  

We were both pretty tired by this point but I was pleased with the energy and shoulder in at the end: Shoulder in

LOVED IT!!!

Brain aches from all the thinking, but 100% would go again   

Merrist Wood tomorrow, then we may both collapse in a heap on Saturday