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Whitney
Tackett has a dream.
She wants to compete at First Level this summer
on her 17-year-old Arab gelding, Rocket.
Her goal is to
show First Level tests 1 and 3 at the Berrien Springs
County Fair in August and she wants to do well.
So, with the
help of her grandfather, Tom Wilson, she trailered to
Afton from Berrien Springs Michigan! That's going
about 700 miles in pursuit of her dream! They stayed to
train with me for two weeks in June at High Point Farm. |
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Here is 17-year-old
Whitney on 17-year-old Rocket, showing off a good rein
connection at canter.
Whitney learned
to use her back strength to keep Rocket balanced under
her seat. |
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Follow
Whitney's journey to get to first level... |
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At the beginning of
training,
Rocket presented the typical Arab trot. He was bouncy
but stiff in his back, he took the rein but was stiff in
his neck and had to be held on the bit.
Here, Rocket is
pulling Whitney along. She cannot ride him to the bit
yet. |
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Here Whitney is
trying to leg yield Rocket to the left.
You can see he
contracts his back and neck and moves stiffly sideways,
dropping out of the rein contact as he comes above the
bit. |
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Rocket needs to learn
to stretch to the bit
going both forward or laterally. |
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After two weeks, a
beautiful leg yield!
Rocket is
bending and crossing over.
Whitney is
concentrating on every nuance of this movement. |
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A beautiful canter
over the back.
This may be
test 1 or test 3, but either way, Rocket is engaged in
his quarters and reaching for the bit. |
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This shot was taken
during our last days of training.
Look at
Rocket's reach for the bit.
Whitney has
learned to give her arms to increase Rocket's forward
desire. |
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A romp on Apollo,
Jody's first level horse.
The reward for two
weeks of hard work! |
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Here is Whitney and Rocket BEFORE... |
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And AFTER! |
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"My stay
with Catherine was very educational and fun. Rocket and
I both learned a lot and improved so much in just two
weeks.
Now
I feel confident about showing first level at my show in
August."
~Whitney Tackett |
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