Wonderful ride last night!

I felt like skipping after I rode last night.  He was just so darn GOOD!!!  We had some lightbulb moments, which was fantastic.  We've had so much trouble with staying on the bit on a straight line, but last night we got it!  Which is not to say that we're ready for our grand prix debut, but we're making progress.

Back in September we took a lesson with the dressage trainer I adore, and I had him in my head last night.  I focused on what he had said about asking him to soften and flex at the poll both ways.  So as we're going around the ring, it's flex left-straight-flex right-straight-flex left, etc.  I'd kind of tried to do it before without any success, but he started getting it and he went SO much better!

I might be a little biased, but he is such a good looking horse!!  (Wearing his new saddle pad!)

OMG I lean forward so much!  But he looks good anyway.

He does love his stretchy trot.