9 degrees is cold enough to lightly work the horses and call it a day! With my free time, I am renewing memberships and putting together paperwork for the upcoming show season. Focusing on the show season keeps me motivated and on track for my spring goals with the horses. I reread the Third Level tests last night and was tired enough that I thought it was asking for a shoulder in, ten meter 1/2 circle, half-pass to an immediate shoulder in. Reason #500 to read and practice your test ahead of time!

I am always excited to use test movements -- not just to confirm that the horse is ready for the level, but because it improves you/your horse every time you ride through it and is so mastefully designed that there is no better way to confirm you don't have any hole.

It sounds like the Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Fundraiser was a huge success! I travelled up to their farm to teach silent auction lesson winner, Blair, aboard Treadway. We focused on using your seat to slow the horse, which allows you to relax your reins. The two really picked up the lesson quickly and were trotting and cantering around like they could go around forever -- Treadway was relaxed and round, ready to stay in the gait Blair wanted. She was able to keep her hands soft and body balanced like she had been doing dressage work for months!