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(See in gallery: the view in my rearview mirror after I filled my truck bed with hay!)

We are three days away from our departure to Pineland, and I am getting excited! The packing list is slowly shrinking, and the trailer is slowly filling. Lots of laundry to do tomorrow, then we should be ready to go!

I am so grateful to Dressage4Kids for only organizing this massive project (during a pandemic, no less), and Meagan and Caroline Cadorette for all of their help organizing the SITees (SITers?) and getting our aisle at Pineland ready to go. It is sure to be an amazing month!

What a fantastic first day we had! I am writing this from home, fed, showered and in bed at 8:02pm (and feeling very thankful that tonight is not my night to do night check).

We started the day with chores at 6:30, following a quick meeting with our barn manager, Meagan, about the plan for the day. Spotlight was antsy to get out of his stall and, once again, passaged his way out of the barn and up his favorite hill. After our four handgrazing sessions today, he has decided that the highest point of the farm is his favorite place to be; he can see everyone and what they are doing, plus there are two foals in a nearby paddock whom he adores.

Knowing that Spotlight would be eager to move, I signed up for the first lesson of the day at 7:45. Today, he walked in full of energy yet not tense or anxious, and I was very proud of him for this quick change of confidence. I briefed Lendon on what we are working on (I realized today that I haven't ridden with Lendon for over two years!), and continued in canter.

We began on a circle riding forward and back, while being very meaningful with my half halts. Half halting now, giving now; and during the "give" in an extra-collected canter, holding the canter with my back. Riding more with my back ("seat") allowed me to give in the reins and allow Spotlight to lengthen his neck, inproving the extra-collected canter.

Throughout my lesson, I had to remember to ride with a soft fist, particularly my left fist. Lendon later explained that this is not an open hand, yet a softness that comes from the forearm. One can be strong in the arm yet soft and playful with the hand, and being able to distingush the two leads to more aware rein aids.

We briefly schooled the changes, as I rode a few pretty poorly during our warmup! We found that I was riding too conservatively, and anticipating him to rush into and out of the change as he has done in the past. Lendon had me ride more boldly into the changes (but not too boldly, she said!) to find more expression and ground cover. I am excited to continue this work with our changes over the coming weeks!

At the end we played with the adjustability of the trot, being able to go forward, collected, and "slow" without bounce. While it is of course important for a dressage horse to bounce and collect in piaffe and passage, it is arguably just as important to be able to ride a small, boring trot. I can't remember who said the quote, you should be able to ride so well, you can also ride poorly.

After lessons concluded we all met with Lendon in the indoor for a lecture. I could write a novel about all the things we discussed, including the aids, movements, half halts, and also who we would like to interview for a lecture we will have to give.

At the end of the day, we gathered for our first fitness class with Angie Morin. Geeze, she made us work hard! Per our workout schedule, Saturday is a HIIT day, which consisted of lots of short, very intense workouts broken up by short breaks. Let's just say (though I don't often), I am glad I am not riding tomorrow!

I kissed Spotlight and gave him peppermints and told him that just because he got his hay on the ground yesterday doesn't mean he can't eat out of a haynet tonight, and headed home. Tomorrow is our day of rest, then we're back at it on Monday!

i(See in gallery: I started my day with a broken pitchfork. Not fun!)

Straight after chores this morning, instead of beginning lessons, we were scheduled to meet with Dr. Omar Maher of Atlantic Equine Services, along with Dr. Christine Machen and Dr. Melly to discuss with us how best to prevent injuries in our horses.

The two best ways to avoid a major injury are (1) through careful and proper training and (2) to catch small injuries early on. To catch injuries early on, you have to know your baseline. (This is something I talk about in my blog, How to Groom Your Horse Like He's an International Athlete!)

We broke into three groups; Dr. Maher showed us how to evaluate the neck and back, Dr. Machen the hindlimb, and Dr. Melly the forelimb. Overall, the thing you should pay attention to is symmetry, or any new asymmetries. Ideally, the horse should be happy to move and free from heat, swelling, or pain. Anything new–from a bump on a leg to some sensitivity on the back–should be carefully monitored and maybe discussed with your veterinarian. Going beyond a visual evaluation to feeling the horse's body with your hands. Evaluating multiple horses and comparing their differences is one of the best ways to learn a better "feel." I was grateful to each vet for answering my many questions, and for taking time out of their busy schedules to educate us!

I sat in the indoor and watched lessons while Spotlight hung out in his paddock. One thing I have noticed in the two days so far is how much Lendon has to ask people to BEND! On a 20 meter circle, keeping the horse in a continuous bend and shape, touching the walls and centerline for one stride, and staying 2 meters inside of I and L. Such a simple concept, yet clearly tricky to maintain. Watching lessons has reminded me how important it is not to lose the ability to ride accurately.

Spotlight did not feel his best for our ride today, he was a bit stiff from his day off yesterday, and I don't think he is quite settled enough to get as much sleep as he normally does. Though, if I was at home, I have a feeling Tanya (my regular instructor) would be telling me he looks fine, and to just ride! So that's what I tried to do.

We continued our work at the halt and rein back. Lendon praised me for training Spotlight to halt square every time, but when we begin the rein back he often shuffles in four-beats, not two diagonal pairs. We worked to get a more prompt response into the rein back, which improved the movement itself. I then worked on my own in the canter for a bit, while Lendon encouraged me to not "squash" his canter. I continued to do transitions within the canter while keeping a soft fist, following with my arms in the down-stroke of the canter, and riding more with my back.

After a while, Lendon had me run through the canter zig-zags from the Young Rider Team and Individual tests. In the Team test (just like the Prix St George), you canter left from F to X, change at X, halfpass to M, and change before the corner. In the Individual, you begin down the centerline, halfpass left to E, change, and halfpass right to G. My geometry wasn't bad for a first attempt, though I need to ride both halfpasses with more bend and angle. This coming Saturday, we are having a casual schooling show, where I will run through the test in its entirety. (I better get memorizing!)

Today's fitness lesson was focused on the core, which includes the abdomen, obliques, back, and shoulders. It was much less intense that HIIT was on Saturday, though tonight it still hurts to laugh! We'll be back at HIIT tomorrow, after lessons. Lendon asked me to ride in the double bridle tomorrow, which will be a first for Spotlight since Juniors in 2018. We'll see what he thinks!

(Check out the gallery for a riding photo!) After my late lesson yesterday, I was sure to be the first to sign up for a lesson first-thing at 7:45am. First, I noticed that he did sleep again last night! Knowing that he is comfortable enough to sleep makes me feel much better. I let Spotlight into his paddock for about half an hour while I finished chores, then brought him inside to get ready at about 7:15. He tends to be stiff in the mornings, and I wasn't sure if it would be better for him to get longer turnout but a shorter warmup walk, or no turnout with plenty of warmup walking. While I think the turnout was better for him mentally, he did feel a bit more stiff than I would have liked. But, he worked out of it quickly, and we got right to work.

We resumed out theme of working forward and back in the canter, while Lendon didn't say anything about my arms being too stiff or my curb rein being too tight! I do need to work on keeping a quicker tempo in the canter whether we're in medium, collected, or pirouette canter.

I suggested we work on the trot tours from the Young Rider tests. While I have practiced the movements at home, the regulation-sized ring is under construction, so I have not been able to practice the tours of the test entirely.

We began with the trot tour from the YR Individual test. Beginning at C tracking left, you ride shoulder-in halfway down the longside, turning across the arena at E to change rein, and continue in right shoulder-in to the corner. Down the centerline, halfpass right to B, 8 meter volte left, then medium trot B to H. C, rein back five steps then prompty to trot and an extension across the long diagonal. Again, down centerline, halfpass to E, 8 meter volte right and a medium trot E to M.

I need to work to establish more bend before beginning my halfpasses, and starting earlier so that I finish earlier. I need to ride more angle in the right shoulder-in, and more bend in the left. My shoulder-ins also need to be more defined–one stride to get in, one stride to get out–no fizzling in or out. My transition to medium trot is very important, and I can use a gentle squeeze of my calf to encourage this without surpising him or rushing him off his feet.

Lendon then suggested we practice the canter tour from the Team test, or the Prix St George. You canter left at K, halfpass F to X, change, halfpass to M, and change again. Then the half-pirouettes, ridden on the diagional and turning at X, with a change at C. For the left pirouette I was so focused on maintaining a quick tempo that I did not collect nearly enough; Lendon said "that was a very nice volte." The right pirouette was better but I over-corrected and collected too much, and Spotlight almost got stuck. I need to work on riding with confidence in my pirouettes. (And also in my extensions, and lateral work!) The mental aspect of riding is, arguably, just as important as the physical aspect!

When I rode the 4-tempis, Lendon said "fantastic" after the third change, and I completely forgot to ride the other two! Luckily, the first three were good enough so we didn't have to retry them.

Tomorrow is hacking day for the horses, but on Friday I think I will forgo the turnout until after our lesson and just focus on getting plenty of time to do his stretches and warmup walk.

Our lecture today was with Lisa Blier who talked to us about public speaking. Lisa was super easy to talk to and made her lecture very engaging; we were laughing almost the entire time. We talked about the elements of bad speeches (speakers being unprepared, unengaged) and good speeches (emotional, well-practiced, engaging, quotable, humorous, personal, and able to use comfortable silences). We then practiced by interviewing each other and creating short speeches to share in front of the room. Lisa encouaged us to prepare well and to speak confidently. We will soon be putting this practice to use, as Lendon has asked us to interview a person whom we admire and to share what we learn as a lecture. I am excited to share what I learn about my interviewee!

Fitness today was focused on balance, and it was my favorite fitness day so far. We paired up and moved around the room in stations, using yoga balls and various other objects to practice with. It was super funny to see everyone wobbling and, at times, falling over! You could definately feel with some of the exercises how those small, quick-fire muscles are used in riding. I cannot wait to look back and see how these fitness classes change my riding.

I look forward to our hacking day tomorrow!

Spotlight and I were first to go on this chilly, autumn-like morning. As planned on Wednesday, I skipped the pre-ride turnout and instead got into the ring early for some extra warmup time. Spotlight was a little distracted as the manure pile was being loaded into an enormous dump truck just outside the door, but he was willing to give me his attention as I picked up the reins.

The plan for today was to run through the trot tour of the Young Rider Team Test, then touch up on the canter pirouettes. However, I quickly found out that I had not quite pushed through a bit of a block in our warmup. He kept pushing through my right leg in the right shoulder-in and drifting inwards, so we had a bit of a discussion with a turn-on-the-forehand and tried again, with success. My voltes need to be more round and my halfpasses need more haunches, but overall our practice wasn't bad. I feel confident that it will all of the movements will be recognizable in our test tomorrow!

The pirouettes were pretty good today. I rode both a bit too small, making the haunches swing out, but they were clean. His changes were both very nice and uphill. In our warmup tomorrow, I will need to make sure that he is very laterally and longitudinally supple, and moving promptly off my left and right legs. I also need to remember to ride a bit more round and less sprawled out; Lendon said I need to lower his neck going into the trot extensions, and lower it even more when I collect!

We had an amazing lecture today with sports psychologist Dr. Jenny Susser. Her talk was about pressure, stress, and fear, and how to handle these situations in a healthy way. First, it's important to know how stress affects you mentally and physically. I know I feel stress first in my heart (palpitations and a tight pressure feeling) and sometimes in my belly (like butterflies), as well as in my clenched jaw and tight shoulders. Mentally, I tend to speed up and try do too many things at once. Dr. Susser explained that learning to manage stress in a healthy way takes time and practice, and being able to identify its symptoms is the first step to decompressing. One thing she suggested which stood out to me was to know your friend's symptoms of stress, so you can help them and (they can hopefully help you) identify when you are stressed. I thought of my friend, Leah, and how we have helped each other in our years of showing together.

Each period of stress needs to be followed by rest. This can be reading, sleeping, or even a deep breath. Just as with any exercise, you won't get stronger if you don't recover properly. It's up to you to know whether you need a physical, mental, or emotional break. In preparing for a stressful event, you must prepare for the pressure by training your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which works to conserve energy. This can be done through controlled breathing, meditation, writing, or visualization. Dr. Susser told us to put this practice in our calendars for every day, even for a minute at a time. "Practice makes permanent," and the only way to make a habit is to be consistent.

Fitness today continued the theme of stress recovery, as we went on a field trip to Bradbury Mountain! It was such a beautiful yet easy hike with a beautiful view at the top. We had fun leaping on the big rocks and swinging on trees, and taking some fun pictures (check out the gallery!) Tomorrow we are back to the grindstone with a HIIT class following the schooling show. I'm crossing my fingers for both to go well!

I left for the barn early today to take care of Spotlight and Coco (owned by my day-off partner, Devon). They grazed in their adjoining paddocks while I cleaned their stalls, disinfected their feed and water buckets (as we do every Sunday), swept the aisle and set up meals for later in the day. At 9 I brought them in, and gave Spotlight a good, deep grooming and wrapped his legs and fed them both carrots. Later, Devon did the same thing for PM chores.

It was such a lovely day–warm but not hot, partially cloudy, with a nice breeze–so my mom and I went to Scarborough to go kayaking in the marsh! Weaving through the tall grass and watching the birds was really relaxing and fun. It was a much-needed mental recovery day after the stress of the schooling show, though I am already itching to get back in the saddle!

We are entering a bit of a heat wave here in Maine! Lessons were scheduled by groups of four so that no one had to ride in the heat of the day. I was scheduled for the first lesson group at 7:30.

Spotlight felt pretty good in our warmup, as I tried to ride him in a long, low and deep frame to get access to his back. Throughout our ride I felt like I was riding a bit like a lunatic (as I think Tanya would say, if she had been watching). Each step felt too quick, too slow, too labored, too quick, too loose, too tight… I have learned by now that days like these are usually a problem in me, not my horse. Spotlight was a gentleman and did all of the things I asked of him, and that’s all I can ever expect from him.

As lessons were finished by around 10:00, we spent the rest of the morning keeping the horses and ourselves cool and hydrated. Bobby Murray arrived at 1:00 to teach us about jogging for a CDI competition. Though many of us are very far from ready to compete internationally, it is such good practice for basic handling, and if you ever have to jog your horse for the vet.

I unfortunately had to leave the lecture early to hold Spotlight for the farrier. Hopefully, he will feel great for our lesson with Liz tomorrow!

The day I have been waiting for since the start of this program: our appointments with Jennifer Mitchell! (If you don't know who she is, read my the blog post above).

First, Jen watched me ride the walk, rising trot, sitting trot, and canter in both directions on a 20 meter circle, then a centerline from each direction. She was checking for problems with my posture and alignment, whether that be lateral or longitudinal leaning or a twist in my body. We found I tend to sit left and twist my upper body to the left, point my toes out, and, most importantly, absorb motion in my lumbar rather than my pelvis. Devon agreed to tack-walk Spotlight while Jen worked to fix my body on the table.

First, she did a complete analysis of my body, particularly my core and pelvis. We found that my left leg was about an inch shorter than my right, I am tight and inflexible in my left pelvis, and weak in my right hip. Jen used her magic hands to unstuck what was stuck, and activate muscles which weren't working as they should. My favorite part was noticing the change from feeling tightness or weakness, working through those problems, and then feeling the huge difference afterward. After we were satisfied with our changes, I got back on Spotlight. Immediately, I felt more...correct? My shoulders mirrored Spotlight's shoulders and my hips mirrored his hips. I could definitely feel my pelvis moving in ways it probally hasn't ever before, and because of that I felt stronger and more secure in my back and abdomen. Though it didn't magically fix all of our problems, it made a huge difference in the way I felt on Spotlight's back. I can only compare it to the day we found Spotlight's new Schleese saddle; the old way wasn't terrible, but this new way is oh so much better.

I spent the rest of the day trying to sit up straight and not mess up Jen's work, while watching her work on the other riders. We started a bit early for fitness, a Bootcamp. Similar to last week, Angie set up about 15 stations around our workout area and we partnered up to spend a couple of minutes at each station. I even worked in some of the exercises that Jen gave to me, especially clamshells!

Tomorrow, we are back to a fairly normal day, with a 7:45 lesson for me, Caroline, and Devon, with some hay stacking planned for 9:00. Hopefully this heat lets up soon!

This blog will be a quick one, as it was a long week and I am ready for bed! I cannot believe we are already halfway through our month. It has gone by so fast, yet I feel as though I have known the other girls forever.

Today in our lesson, since it is the end of the week, I didn't want to do too much to tire Spotlight. After our warmup, we schooled the changes, working on keeping them uphill and forward-thinking. Our fours and threes are pretty consistent, but when we tried to do twos, we kept missing the right to left change. Lendon told me to try to ride the changes without moving my leg at all (which I am familiar with doing from my time on DeJure). She said, even when I didn't think I was moving my legs at all they were, in fact, moving back about four inches. Apparently, I need to be more aware of my body! Focusing on a smaller leg aid, doing less with my back, and pushing my hands forward made the changes much more on my aids and the twos became easier. This also translated into our lateral work (which we mostly did at the walk); I need to use less of an aid and expect a bigger response. I was super happy with how he felt and I think we are both looking forward to a day off tomorrow.

Our lecture this afternoon was with saddle fitter Joan Guyotte Riedel. Joan went over with us the basics of measuring a horse, finding a tree that matches the horse, and fitting the saddle. The lecture was very hands-on as Joan had us feel different horses' backs, different saddle models, and even let us practice flocking a saddle. The biggest takeaway I got from Joan was to listen to your horse. Almost always, even if it doesn't look "right," the horse will tell you what s/he likes, whether it be the saddle, pads, girth, etc. Listen to your horse, be their advocate, and do what it takes to keep them comfortable and happy!

At the end of the day, we all ventured to Freeport Equestrian Center (masked and distanced, of course) to audit Rose Keller's (fellow SIT participant) clinic ride with Jennifer Baumert. Rose and her horse Diego did so well, and I think Jen was a great match for Rose. I took lots of notes (as Rose and I are both Young Riders) and I know Rose was super happy with her ride. A great end to a busy week!

Today Lendon's schedule was tight because of an appointment, so a few people took group lessons while the rest of us schooled on our own. I let Spotlight graze in his paddock all morning while I watched rides, and planned to school him just before our afternoon lecture.

I love being able to sit in the ring, watch a bunch of people riding, and listening to Lendon coach them all. I am starting to see more and more a method to how Lendon teaches, why she maybe suggests certain things over others. I was absorbing all this information (my head spinning left and right, trying to watch everyone at once) when Lendon turned to me and said, go teach (one of the lower-level riders) how to do a zig-zag. I blinked, you mean a halfpass zig-zag? Yes, she said.

There is definitely an art to teaching. I had to step back and break down a halfpass, the change of bend, and the returning halfpass. For my first mini-lesson, I don't think it was too bad! Lendon's only criticism was that I need to make sure I am explaining the why, as in why I was having her circle before the halfpass, why she needed to be straight on the diagonal line before adding the haunches, etc. I hope I get more opportunities like this in the future!

It was kind of strange to not have eyes on me, no one else in the ring or anyone on the side watching. Though, it was also super nice to not feel that pressure! It was a really fun ride, I felt good and Spotlight felt good, and I'm looking forward to our lesson tomorrow morning.

Our lecture this afternoon was with Dr. Angus who talked to us about acupuncture. First, she gave us a brief lecture about the vast history of acupuncture, how is has been integrated to use along with Western medicine, and how and why it should be used. Then, she gave a great demo! She showed us how she finds reactive points around the horse, and explained why she inserted needles to affect other areas of the body. It was really cool to see the quick change in the horse, as she dropped her head and yawned and licked and chewed. It made me curious to try acupuncture one day, whether on myself or on Spotlight.

Fitness today was focused on the core. We are getting though our workouts much faster now that we know what to expect. As we are now halfway through, you can definitely see the change in people's energy levels. I think four people today had to take modfications due to soreness or minor injury (including myself, because core day puts a lot of strain on my weak wrists) and there is definitely less enthusiasm as there was before, but (almost) everyone puts their head down and pushes through, and I think I can speak for everyone in saying we all feel better afterwards. Tomorrow, we tackle a fake Spartan coarse at a local playground!

Today was unusual as we had no lecture or fitness class; the fantastic U25 rider Hope Cooper agreed to teach everyone today, all day long! It was super exciting for everyone to get a private lesson from a guest instructor, and especially one as fun to ride with as Hope.

We started with the canter work, as Hope wanted to help with our warmup and Spotlights starts best in the canter. She had me ride very forward while focusing on having his shoulders and neck very up and out. Spotlight felt really good in his body from the start, and I think riding forward like this not only helped the movements later in the ride be more forward, but also gave him more confidence in that speed and frame. We worked on some changes, which felt very good after our lesson yesterday, and Hope said if we do them like that in the show ring, we'll get a 9. I certainly hope so!

We transitioned to trot shortly after, as I really wanted to focus on getting me to ride the halfpasses better. After watching our trot work for a bit (just a bit of shoulder-fore and shoulder-in), Hope told me to be quiet with my aids and stop doing so much. I think we get a bit into a cycle of Spotlight trying to do everything at once, and me asking for too much at once. We worked on just trotting aroud the ring, not doing anything. Passive hand, no leg, passive seat. To my surprise (but really, why was I suprised?), the trot just kept getting better and better, easier to sit, less tense, more fluid. It was really hard to not do anything! But clearly, it is something I have to remember to do. As we attempted the halfpasses, Hope had to remind me to stop doing so much, and (just like magic) the halfpasses were easier to ride! I guess I must have been doing something to ask for the halfpass, but the aids were so small I couldn't really perceive them; similar to the other day when Lendon had me ride the changes with no leg.

I was super grateful to Hope for giving us her day, and I can't wait to get started on this homework! But tomorrow, Spotlight and I will both appreciate a hack day.

I had a plan to have a private lesson with Lendon late in the day so Tanya could come and watch, but it was canceled because of a rescheduled appointment. So, I rode on my own.

Spotlight felt amazing! Right from the get-go, very through, very responsive, very strong yet supple in his body. I think he really enjoys riding in the outdoor (especially today, as his favorite mare and foal were turned out in the paddock nearby), I'll have to see if I can convice Lendon to teach outside one day.

We ran through a bit of everything, then went for a little canter around the fields. He felt happy and I hope we are ready to tackle the Young Rider Individual test tomorrow!

Our host Rick Lane gave us another lecture, today about how he raises and trains his young Morgans. As I have had a limited exposure to this, it was eye-opening to see how the foals are handled, how they begin halter training, beginning to work in the ring and eventually with a wagon, to bringing them to their first show. The Morgan breed was not one I knew much about when I began this program, and it has been really interesting to see the similarities and differences to what we do. I look forward to learning more about Morgans and other breeds and disciplines!

Not much to report today, as we had the day off. Spotlight grazed outside all morning, and we went on a quick hack in the afternoon. Spotlight and I should be well-rested for our final week of SIT!

Today started out with another great lesson! After a super good warmup with lots of forward, two-point canter and stretching, we worked on adjustability in the canter in preparation for pirouette work.

Remember, yesterday, Lendon told me to not ride with a whip today. No problem, I have only been riding with a whip because she asked me to after my first lesson. There was definitely a bit of an adjustment period, but I was satisfied with Spotlight's reaction off my leg almost every time.

We began with just pirouette canter transitions in shoulder-fore on the inner track, then moved to a circle in the middle of the ring. I practiced a few schooling pirouettes, then Lendon had me circle around her while she held a lunge whip, which she waved towards him if he began to turn too quickly, or began to slow in the tempo. Just a few turns with her help made the pirouette steps feel like real pirouette steps, not just a small turn in collected canter. We then practiced a few on the diagonal, with me (trying to) be very clear about each step. This step is my collected canter, these two steps are collecting, this is my first step of pirouette canter, and this is the first step of my pirouette. Even though Spotlight isn't nearly strong enough to do a full, real pirouette, practicing the transition into the pirouette is super important, both for the quarter-pirouettes in the YR tests and as preparation for when he is ready for a full pirouette. Lendon also said it's super important to remember to start your pirouette small, then let it get a bit larger. We definitely have the "larger" portion covered, now we're working on getting that small, clear start.

In between working on the pirouettes we worked at the trot, so Spotlight wouldn't get too tired. His trot didn't feel as great as his canter did today; last month, I would have practiced dozens of trot-halt-trot transitions until I felt he was balanced and listening to my aids. But you can't do that in a test, and it's good to have other tools in your toolbox. Lendon had me play with different things–half steps, medium trot, lateral work–whatever improved his balance and obedience. When I did halt, I had to make sure he was darn square, and that he didn't move. Spotlight has always tended to be fidgety, and it's especially hard to stand still after lots of hard work, but he did in the end. We ended with a good stretch and a hack up the hill. He fell asleep on the crossties during his liniment bath, and didn't complain once about having his ice boots on. He'll sleep well tonight! (And I sure will, too!)

Today's lecture was with Melanie Locke about equine nutrition. She talked all about the digestive system, the importance of understanding your nutrition labels and getting your hay analyzed, and then she allowed us to ask questions. It was super interesting to talk to someone who knows so much about our horse's needs, what different brands of grain have to offer, and how we can prevent or lessen problems such as colic, ulcers, and Cushing's disease through what we feed them.

Fitness today was partnered HIIT! Each class seems to fly by faster than the last. I am definitely feeling the burn in my legs today! Tomorrow's yoga class will feel so good.

Per usual on a hack day, Spotlight spend the morning turned out while I finished chores, studied for a quiz, and prepared for my lecture on applying for scholarships.

Our hack was freezing, but uneventful. We went up and down the hills of Pineland (avoiding the forest, which still makes him nervous) while I listened to my favorite podcast and admired the dramatic mountainscape. We finished with a little gallop around the outdoor arena.

Instead of a lecture from a professional, we are all giving lectures today and tomorrow. I was a bit nervous for mine, as it's been a while since I talked in front of a group. But it went great! I stayed fairly organized and went through the entire process of finding a scholarship (or clinic or program), reading the application, asking for letters of recommendation, taking a video, and much more. Everyone asked lots of questions and Lendon piped in a bit to give a selection committee's perspective.

Our bootcamp class today was also freezing. Like last week, we split up into teams and went through a series of stations, finishing where we started. Especially on cold days like today, getting up and moving always makes me feel better. I can't wait for my lesson tomorrow!

My lesson today was abnormally late. Normally this would mean that Spotlight could be outside all morning, but with today's rain he wasn't out for long. So, I wasn't too surprised when his legs were a bit puffy and he felt a bit stiff to start. After going around for a bit with him feeling OK, but kind of tight and braced, Lendon suggested I let him gallop around the arena. Boy, did he like that! As soon as I went into half seat he shot off like a rocket with his ears straight ahead. We went like that for a bit, then very slowly closed him into a forward, collected canter. We took several laps like this until we were schooling a pirouette in the middle of the ring. Then we repeated this in the other direction. I use the forward canter fairly frequently in our warmup (especially after a day off), but maybe I need to use it more often!

We worked a little in the pirouettes, riding one real step, then getting out, really focusing on the quick, clear transitions. Spotlight is getting so much stronger and more confident in his work, and it's such a gift to ride him every day. It is still surreal to type about practicing our pirouettes; I feel like it was just weeks ago that I couldn't get him to canter at all!

After the pirouettes I asked Lendon for help with the PSG canter zig-zag. This has been one of our biggest struggles to learn, but after I ran through it a couple of times, Lendon said it was good! I ride the halfpasses themselves well, and the change of bend and the changes themselves were all good. That's enough for today! Tomorrow, Spotlight will enjoy being in his paddock all day while I enjoy sleeping in in the morning, then maybe we'll go for one last hack in the afternoon.

After lessons we had a farewell luncheon. Meagan did a fantastic job of feeding us all once again, and afterwards we presented Lendon with a gift from all of us. It’s crazy that we are already having our farewells. It feels like the program is just getting started!

We had our last fitness class today, themed like the Olympics. We broke up into three teams of four and went through different “sports” like long-jumps, jump rope, frisbee toss, tug-of-war, and a plank-off. My team earned a bronze medal, but we had fun anyway!

Well, today's the day—the final day of the 2020 Summer Intensive Training program.

The barn was eerily quiet this morning, and as we lost six people over the weekend, there were only seven of us left. We finished chores as we usually do and headed into the indoor to watch lessons before I had to get Spotlight ready for our ride.

I accidentally tacked up about 45 minutes before my lesson, so Spotlight headed for a big walk warmup out on the trails. We went for a bit of a gallop around the outdoor, then headed into the indoor.

Spotlight felt a bit strung-out and downhill to me (though Lendon said he didn't look so). I tried trot-canter transitions, which helped a bit, and canter-pirouette canter transitions, which wasn't helping quite as much. So, Lendon suggested I tried riding some lines of changes. Whether it made me riding better, Spotlight wake up a bit, or, as I think it was, a combination of both, the canter quality improved significantly. Though I still really, really need to ride that darn right-to-left change. To finish the canter, we rode a few halfpasses, which are now amazingly easy to ride across the whole diagonal.

To finish, Lendon wanted me to ride some halfsteps. "You ride shoulder-in every day, you should ride some halfsteps every day." It should be that casual, that easy. Just to keep him thinking about it, rather than it becoming a stressful surprise that appears every once in a while. Besides strengthening, the hardest part of the halfsteps for Spotlight is maintaining the two-beat rhythm. The rein-back helped establish the diagonal pairs, and rhythmic taps on his croup (like a metronome) help keep him from losing the tempo. I am so excited to feel him develop and get stronger!

My dad arrived earlier than I expected him to, so we packed up quickly and left this afternoon, rather than this evening, as I had planned. I was sad to leave, but we weren't saying good-bye forever, or even for a very long time. I hope to see them all soon for a trailer-in lesson, and again at the Region 8 Championships.

I am so, so grateful to everyone who made this fabulous month possible. I know it was extra-challenging with COVID precautions to consider, and I am so glad that we finished the month with absolutely no blips or problems. From the riders' perspective, everything was perfect, but this was not without the huge efforts of some very special people.

Rick Lane, of Cabot Morgans, was incredibly generous to allow us to invade his home for the month, completely disrupting his routine and that of his horses. He really went above and beyond to ensure our month was not only possible, but very comfortable for us and our horses.

Angie Morin was a fabulous fitness instructor and gave us a really clear, regular yet varied program which I really hope to continue into the future. She taught us that fitness is entirely individual, and you have to know yourself, your body, and your limits to get the most out of it.

We could not have asked for a better barn manager than Meagan Cadorette. Not only did she spend who-knows-how-much time this past year communicating with Lendon and many others to make this program even a possibility; she managed the hundreds of "little" details of which I'm sure we were unaware, but could not have functioned without (such as piecing together a beautiful makeshift dressage arena). She was there all day, every day to manage the turnout schedule, the lesson schedule, and to keep us all on track and happily working together. I hope she gets some rest next month; she deserves it!

Of course, none of this would be possible without the incredible Lendon Gray. I think I speak for every rider in the program when I say we learned more than we could have ever hoped or imagined we would. I know I have loads of homework to do, and for a change, I feel prepared to tackle the Young Rider level. Thank you for this month, and for all that you do! I am already counting down the days until we meet again, for three months in Florida.

And finally, thank you to the group of girls with whom I've lived this past month. It was so much fun to get to know you all! You are all amazing riders and horsewomen, and I hope our paths cross again soon!