Cheers!  Over the winter it is always challenging to gain or even to keep momentum in training if you don't travel to Florida or California where the action remains intense.  One suggestion I frequently give to my clients to help themselves in their journey of improvement with their horses is to have a friend take video regularly.  And to watch that video more than once to get a good, in depth study.  The first time I see a video I usually have a very critical eye and mentally punish myself many times during the viewing.  On the second or third viewing, I am able to detach enough to engage my judges eye and trainer's eye and narrow down the issues to a few needed improvements.  This winter Linda has agreed to video my rides once or twice per month.  Yesterday was the first session of 2012.  I see that I have a lot to work on but I am so happy to be able to do as much as I am.  The video of Wonder suggests that her canter work really impoves the quality of reach in her trot.  Overall, it looks like I need to get Wonder out in the wide open fields more often.  Welle is not as active in the piaffe work as she feels.   Sanibelle gets overly "compressed" at times and could have better balance.  Winnie is perfect.    ... just kidding.  Winnie needs to develop more power and often sneaks too much neck bend because her weakness entices her to avoid body bend (which is hard work due to the engagement the bend requires from the horse).   In addition to video, I asked Linda to snap some still photos of my ride on Winnie, my grey four year old mare (the baby of the stable).  I have not taken any under-saddle pictures of her until this ride, so I was eager to capture a bit of her at this stage of training.  I have posted a couple photos below of Winnie taken by Linda, winter of 2011-2012.

(Once again, appologies for the cheap camera quality.  Perhaps I will ask for new equipment next Christmas.)