I focus, and Lance delivers

I had a really good ride late this afternoon. It wasn't long; a lot of my rides lately have been pretty short. I'm trying to go for quality over quantity (of minutes per ride), and I think we nailed it today. Lance responded so well; he was more consistent in his frame and contact throughout our ride than he's ever been.

These were my three main foci:

1. Stay tall and vertical in the saddle, especially when posting the trot.
2. Don't 'take' or pull with the reins. Maintain a steady hand position and push Lance forward into the contact; push my hands forward in downward transitions.
3. Keep my outside hand closed firmly on the rein; squeeze the sponge with my inside hand for softness, lateral and longitudinal bend.

That last point really seemed key to Lance's consistency.

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I did mail off our entry for "DevonWood in the Spring" today, after thinking of some easy things to sell and determining to resist spending money on anything else in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, that probably includes lessons. How many more shows I can swing remains to be seen!