National dressage champion, Maria Eilberg, works at home with her stallion Woodlander Rockstar, fresh from a successful Sunshine Tour where he won all the Owner classes! Maria uses transitions to keep Rockstar on her aids and to create energy but, conversely, she also uses them to ensure the forward going seven year old 'waits for her'. As lateral work is easy, the emphasis is on straightness and self-carriage. Maria explains how she explores Rockstar's boundary for collection in canter and shows the start of pirouttes. Stretching is a reward but it's also a useful exercise to ride on the buckle without losing the connection!