dressage week

Hi,
I am expanding from song writing to blog writing.  It was suggested by some students as a way to journal my upcoming move to California for winter. I will be working for Connie Arthur at Lone Tree Farm in Waterford Ca.  The website is http://www.lonetreefarm.net/
I am taking my horse Banner and my Jack Russell, Cash.  I'm not sure if Cash will be accepted but will do my best to keep him from offending anyone. He is a very kind little dog but chases and digs and jumps in cars and people's laps with out being asked.
My horse Banner is also kind and he will be coming too.
Last week, here in lovely Idaho, I took a dresssage lesson with Debbie McDonald. It was a B' Day gift from Debbie and my devoted husband Steve.  We worked on leg yield, Sh. fore, inside leg to outside rein connection, self carriage where I could surrender inside rein and straightness.  Banner was really good.
I learned:
1. It is necessary to ask him to stretch down during warm up to loosen his topline before work. Then his entire body is warmed up and ready for dressage. Hacking around on a loose rein is not warming up topline.
2. He tends to fall in subtley and haunches somewhere to side.  Leg yield to sharpen him up to inside spur. As always not constant thumping with my legs. Leg must ask, get result and release from pressure.
Yesterday, I took a lesson with Kelly Weiss.
First he corrected my leg position, toe in spur off, thigh turned back.
He wanted Banner's back up more so he could track up, relax, be straight etc.
He asked for inside flexion, when Banner yielded to flexion we asked for 3 or 4 shorter steps with outside rein, then I squeeze him properly with my calf to go more fwd and in so doing allow an inch or so in neck so Banner knew it was safe to go fwd off leg. Kelly reminded me that we have to let horses make mistakes and use them to get to know horse better.  I cannot dictate every move my horse makes. He is a partner. He can volunteer to go fwd with this sytem. he will be more self sufficent, sounder and more joyful that way. It's very important for an event horse.
Tommorrow some students and I will school at Rafter K. What fun.