More Kelly Boot Camp

So... today I hauled to Jess's farm for another lesson with Kelly. She got on Dan first and rode and said that basically he felt good. She said she thought that the one ride I did manage to get in between last time she rode and now must have been good because he wasn't super fussy in the bridle when she asked, so I must have kept my hands quieter and ridden more off my leg. :) Yay for that! She said he was quicker to give and soften and do what she asked and that he felt better overall. Yay!

So then it was my turn. And man.. it's hard! But it was a little better than last time. He still feels like I really have to pull and HOLD his head to the right when we're tracking right. I still want to correct that outside shoulder, but I was better about correcting it with my outside leg and bringing both of my hands to the left and then back to the right. Sort of bouncing him back and forth in his shoulders to straighten him. I also need to get better about timing my aids and being more specific. If I want his barrel to swing to the outside, time my inside leg with when his inside hind is swinging forward (at the trot, when I'm sitting, at the walk, when his outside shoulder comes forward). And when I only need a little bit more bend, just ask a little. When he's ignoring me or falling in, ask with a lot of leg. Sigh.... I get sucked into nagging him. So it was definitely better. I mentioned that he didn't feel like he was in my outside rein at all and she said that it's because he isn't using that right hind enough, because with her, he does go into the outside rein. Darn! But we did get some good work and my brain is starting to acquiesce that she's right and he's not overbent and his left shoulder isn't flinging out. :) 

So then we went for a short cool down hack on the trails behind Jess's farm. And we couldn't help ourselves (okay, me.... I.... *I* couldn't help myself) so we jumped over her brush box. :)