Just Reminding Myself ...

A few months ago ago, Izzy couldn't pick up a canter and hold the lead. If he did pick up a canter, he certainly couldn't make a 20-meter circle. In fact, there are a lot of things that he couldn't do a couple of months ago.

In our I want it now, and I am entitled to it world, I have to keep reminding myself of all of the things that he can do today that he couldn't do a few weeks or months ago. 

The sweatier his body, the more tuned in is his brain.

I am slowly realizing that Izzy is not going to wake up one day and be a finished dressage horse. I think we will always struggle because he seems to be happy with the status quo - I can canter, why does it need to be good?

What I feel in our daily rides is that his level of resistance is slowly becoming less dramatic. Instead of bolting to the left when he doesn't want to canter right, he throws his haunches around or locks his neck. Instead of bucking or throwing in a rear, he sucks back and locks up his neck. Instead of jacking his head straight up while locking his jaw, he grunts or squeals and locks up his neck. He holds a lot of tension in his neck. We're working on it.

I just keep reminding myself that nowhere is it written that I deserve anything or that it will come easy. Izzy is making steady progress though, and I'll just keep working on it.

We went to a schooling show yesterday. While he didn't bring home any fabulous scores, he proved to me once again that he's worth the wait - recap tomorrow.