How much do your reins weigh? Well this could be a deeply metaphorical image for getting your life under control but fear not….I am just talking about the reins in your hands when you ride a horse. In dressage the ultimate goal is to have the contact with the horse so light that you only feel the weight of the actual reins.
In my history with Biasini I have had far more weight than just the reins. How about a steam engine pulling me along or me pulling back with about 10 pounds in each hand? But over time with help and reminders from my coaches that is improving all the time. Now there are many moments when the contact is light and I only have the weight of the reins in my hands. But then I rest for a second and Whoops! It is gone.
Biasini and I are back in training with my Canadian coach Belinda Trussell. I always start the warm up with a relaxed walk and then a trot where Biasini stretches his head and neck lower to stretch his back and free him up. But in the canter I pick him up and ask him to carry his own head and neck and bring his shoulders up and power his stride from behind. Here is a video of our warm up canter. Belinda is multi tasking with teaching watching and videoing.
Once we have finished the warm up I pick him up for the trot work. In this lesson Belinda was helping me to work on consistency in the balance. I will share some video of our work.
Then as the lesson progresses I start to get a better result with balancing Biasini and getting more consistency and expression.
Next time I will tell you about how volume in the canter can be liberating. Have an enjoyable weekend!
HorseAddict 
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