I have my reasons

I mentioned in the last post about having concerns as far as entering the CDE at Prelim level. Here's one of them. Let me know what you think. I will stretch this out over a few posts, as there is a lot to consider going into all of this.

Dressage- It is a different dressage test with different movements being asked for. I get that. I can handle that and I think he can too, since most of his misbehaving moments in the ring come from boredom. He is bored with the same patterns. Although we do not do any pattern work at home, it is always the same one in the ring and he knows it. He anticipates it. He reacts to it and not always with his best behavior. He is really smart and picks things up quickly. Sometimes a bit too quickly and the anticipation begins again.

Some of the movements I understand if explained in a different way. I had asked a friend of mine about the circles trotting on a loosened rein yet, not an extended trot. What I got back was a long and detailed explanation that made little to no sense to me until the very last couple of lines. "It's like long and low work in hunters. Riding on the buckle and letting the horse stretch out and down to the bit." I've ridden hunters and that makes sense. Now the question I have is, how to get it in driving when you cannot use your legs? That's another thing altogether for me. I'm sure there is a comparison out there that will put it into different terms that make sense. Until then, you may as well be speaking another language.