Video Lessons January: AKA I got super behind

So I got really behind on things with my video lessons.  One, I wasn't sure if I was going to do them at the beginning of the month, so I only did three.  Two, my parents were in town for a large portion of the month, so I didn't do so well on keeping on top of the blogging (they don't know what a blog is much less that I have one).  So here is a month long dump.  Feel free to skip it.

Lesson 1:  Jan. 16, 2016

My Thoughts:
I was rather disappointed in this ride and I still haven't gone back to watch it.  He felt tense and frantic and we had some unintended canter.  It wasn't a bad rider really, but we had been feeling much better.

D's Thoughts:
D thought he was the most relaxed she had seen him.  He looked more bouncy through his body and he wasn't ever in the stuck up and down place we used to get.  She also thought that I did a better job of not letting him brace through his neck.  He would brace and then give and while it was give and take, there was the give.

Areas to Improve:
Do not let him pop up in transitions.  If he brings his head up the transition, it needs to be redone.  I also need to continue to work on getting him to lower his head.  She wants to try to keep his nose even with the bottom of his chest to help get the last bit of give from his under neck.  I also need to keep my leg back a bit more (this was the first time she saw me in the new saddle).

Lesson 2:  Jan. 23, 2016

My Thoughts:
My mom filmed this one and it is a little interesting.  I am pretty sure there are parts where I tell her just to keep me in the picture and don't worry about the rest (I am not the only one that suffers from technology challenges).

D's Thoughts:
Most of my issues came from me not utilizing my outside aids (I was a day late and dollar short figuring this out...).  I need to turn him away from my outside rein instead of turning him like a car (this makes me lean to the inside of the saddle).  I am moving in the right direction with his frame, but I still need to get things lower.  She really liked the bended lines I did, but I need to search for more relaxation before, durning, and after the turn.  I also got called out for babying him (oops).

Areas to Improve:
Keep after him to stretch down and over his top line.  Use my outside aids and stop trying to ride him like I am driving a car.  Shift my weight to the outside and keep the outside from falling out on turns. This will help with the relaxing in turns (he gets off balance he speeds up).

Lesson 3:  Jan. 24, 2016

My Thoughts:
Stinker had a bit of a meltdown in this one.  He was running through my outside leg and I booted him a bit to remind him that my leg does mean something.  He then proceeded to have a meltdown over any leg at all...we got it worked out.  Overall, I thought it felt pretty good.  (I did not rewatch this one either.)

D's Thoughts:
I was more consistent with not letting his nose pop up so high.  I need to be better about catching him when he first comes up.  I am letting him get way too high before I make the correction.  She was glad that I let him have his meltdown and still worked through it.

Areas to Improve:
More transitions! (this was followed by a plllllllllease) Leg yields into this new frame.  Use a figure eight to soften him up (he has to yield his neck and his body at the same time).

Video four didn't happen because we had a bunch of rain and the footing was total crap.