No excitement unless you count a foot of snow!

[carol machulski]

Haven't posted anything in a while as my lessons have been on a plateau. I've been riding Ophelia's doepplerganger, Valencia. When she first come to the barn, Valencia had quite a motor and a lot of a lesson would be devoted to collecting her and maintaining a rhythm, but now, it's a chore to get her to do anything! After one lesson where I was begging her to trot, to walk,,forget canter! I deceided to introduce her to Mr Whip. so the next lesson, although I generally carry a whip I use it very little but I made an exception for Valencia and would lightly tap her is I found I was working too hard tor begging her to trot or medium walk. She got the message and so the next lesson was a bit better, but I didin't cue correctly for the canter and so no canter. Maybe next time. 

[Angharad]

Oh, the joys of dealing with other living creatures. 

As much as we think we understand them, they'll baffle us time and time again! :>)

Yeah, Mr. Whip can come in handy, but first be sure that you've exhausted all the other correct ways of encouraging forward movement. Check your seat, legs, and hands. The flow of energy must move through the horse from back to front in a manner unrestricted by the rider's aids.

Sounds like Valencia has gotten confused. It's such a common story with school horses, particularly those who start out being a bit of a handful and who are ridden by riders of differing skill levels. While you're probably doing most of the right things, other riders may be doing all the wrong things. Valencia has probably settled on this resistance as a way to protect herself from less than perfect seats and heavy hands. 

Hopefully your instructor will allow you to work with her within the lesson using some basic training techniques after she is thoroughly relaxed.  Try, for instance,  making transitions within a gait (collecting and extending). Try a series of well-executed half halts to build energy (be sure to release completely for a second after each one). Try properly ridden spirals, in and out.

There are a gagillion exercises your instructor can pass on to you.

It's important for Valencia's physical well-being and her future as a useful school horse that she be worked through this. It's obvious she can move forward, she just has to be given the tools and the confidence to do so. 

[carol machulski]

As a school horse as you correctly surmised, she is exposed to so many different types of riders and only a few are working at dressage. Usually I work on getting her round and flexed first and then I do upward and downward transitions in trot and walk. Sometimes I'm the problem and sometimes it's her. I resort to the whip when she ignores my leg and seat aids...I'm really not into using a whip a lot...I prefer a softer approach. We also tried serpentines to keep her changing her flexion.  Time will tell.