Claude Monets floral paintings, particularly his iconic Water Lilies (Nympheas) series, represent a 30-year obsession (1890s1926) with his Giverny garden. Creating over 250 oil paintings, Monet captured evolving light, reflections, and color on his lily pond, shifting from impressionism toward abstract, large-scale immersive panels, largely painted while suffering from cataracts.

Beyond water lilies, Monet painted numerous, poppy fields and garden scenes, highlighting his lifelong passion for horticulture.

Evolution of Style: Early works (1897-1899) were traditional, while later, larger canvases became increasingly abstract, focusing on color and light over distinct forms.

Second Level dressage introduces true collection and lateral movements. The horse must accept more weight on the hindquarters, move with an uphill tendency, and perform medium gaits, 10-meter canter circles, simple changes of lead, travers (haunches-in), renvers (haunches-out), and shoulder-in.

Shoulder-In: The horse is bent around the inside leg of the rider, moving at a 30-degree angle off the track. The forehand moves inward while the outside fore and hind legs track straight.

COLLECTION/COLLECTED (WALK, TROT, OR CANTER) At trot and canter, a pace with shorter steps and a more uphill balance than in the working pace, with no sacrifice of impulsion. The horse’s frame is shorter, with the neck stretched and arched upward. The tempo remains nearly the same as in the medium or extended pace. At walk, a pace with shorter steps and a more uphill balance than in the medium walk, with no sacrifice of activity. The neck oscillates less than in the medium and extended paces and the frame is shorter, with the neck stretched and arched upward. The tempo remains nearly the same as in the medium or extended pace. Note: It is a common misconception that the hind legs step further forward under the body in collection. This is not consonant with the shorter strides required in collection. In the collected paces, the hind feet are picked up relatively sooner after passing behind the hip and spend relatively more time on the ground (stance phase)