Happy.

I hate money. Today I got the bill for the farrier. 250$. Yeah, I know, that's what I said. So much for eating. This week I've really begun to feel how tiring all this work is- constantly doing something and constantly on your feet. By the time I get home, take a shower, and eat something I'm pretty much ready for bed (it's 7:00, time for bed!). I haven't gone to bed this early since, what, 1st grade. It's okay, I like sleeping.

It's funny how this is pretty much my dream college. I go to the barns, pay attention, learn a lot, and then go home and study. Mainly I'm studying Isabell Werth, Klaus Balkenhol, and Steffen Peters courtesy of youtube, dressage daily, dressage today, and a couple more books and dvds I have. I love it. This is what college should be like! It's interesting to understand how I learn too. I am definitely a visual learner and even just looking at a picture can tell me so much. I love love love it! I have the book "Klaus Balkenhol: The Man and His Training Methods" and it has some wonderful pictures of Klaus riding. I look at them every night. I also try to watch Jochen as much as I can, but there is really no time. That's usually how I spend my lunch breaks. This week I've really been learning about using my legs, bending, and keeping my body straight. When using my inside leg, my horse must yield from it and respect that aid. By molding him around my inside leg I am connecting his inside hind leg to my outside rein. My leg aid becomes an aid for bending and also connecting him in his inside hind leg. I had a really good lesson with Rebekah right before I left about keeping your right hand right and your left hand left. I'm really starting to discover what that feels like- my body wants so much to not do it. My right hand is in control of the right side and I can lead him around my right leg for the right bend. In turn, my left hand is in control of my left side and I can lead him around my left leg for the left bend. There is no crossing over of my hands for bending, it just gets me tangled up and I become crooked. Isabell Werth has taught me a lot about this. It's also important for me to remember to keep my outside connection when I am bending- or else there is nothing to connect to. I must also remember to always give and allow for stretching, but never just throw away my connection. I have by no means mastered any of this, but it's just what I've been discovering. I hope everyone is doing well! 

If I haven't showed this to you yet, this is by far my favorite video to watch. It's the competitors warming up at the World Cup with commentary. Towards the end of the first video is Isabell Werth. She is wonderful.

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