12/1 - Dressage Lesson on Willig

I will be riding Willig this week, and focusing on only a few things:
1. Keep him moving forward - don't lose impulsion
2. Keep him bent to the inside - because he's young, he wants to throw his head to the outside to keep his balance, and we don't want that habit to develop
3. Keep him paying attention to me - talk to him, half halts on the outside, lots of changes
And everything else: head set, legs off, no following hands, etc. etc.
Next week Bob thinks he should start jumping him, so he doesn't get bored.

Bob lunged him for me because I was afraid of making my shoulder hurt again (Thursday and Friday I suffered from what may have been a pinched nerve). Willig was acting up because it was cold (it's snowing!) and he had Friday off, and at one point, in slow motion, and very gracefully, he fell down. He got right back up and kept cantering like nothing happened.

We also talked about next season for shows. Bob thinks we should do a couple dressage shows, and that he should ride him Training level at the recognized Lincoln Creek show. I said that was fine, if he's ready. There are a lot of registrations I need to do. I'd like to take him to some day Dressage shows and ride him Training and have Bob ride him 1st or 2nd level in the spring. Then, if he's progressing, we'll go to the local unrecognized shows and derbies, and I'll ride Mercury and Bob can ride Willig at Novice or Training - whatever is appropriate.

Then Bob told me the story of German Christmas, which was very unlike American Christmas. From the web:
Also, in Germany Knecht Ruprecht and his helpers come on the 6th of December. German version of Santa who carries a switch to beat the bad children.