Making Progress

 Ahhhhh.... Somebody was a good boy today and felt good! We had a lesson with Rana and while we were warming up, I was watching in the mirror. Granted, we were just walking, but...somebody was straight!!! Not Me! Pretty sure I was pretty crooked.... but Danny was tracking straight!!!! Yahoo! 

We worked on transitions today. I need to do transitions til I'm so bored with transitions! He's got to stay round and connected and through and forward. We struggle with that fine line of staying forward and going but actually coming downward. The upwards are much easier. The downwards are hard. I can't seem to figure out how to stop my seat from following him, but not slam him to a halt. The key seems to be to half halt to warn him but close my leg, both legs. So we finally got some nice downwards both directions. 

So then we moved on to the canter half pass. Oi! It's hard. BUT, but... we made progress. I felt like we actually got a real half pass today. Sure there wasn't a lot of crossing over, and sure it's wasn't flamboyant. BUT it wasn't just cantering on the diagonal. And we kept the correct bend. We started off working on getting a nice canter. I had to keep my lower legs and spurs off... he had to keep the canter without me having to nudge him every stride. If he faltered, thump him with my legs, then back off. And half halt while I thumped, because he had to stay round while going forward. Then we had to exaggerate the inside bend a little because that helps him stay connected. So with a more collected canter.... exaggerated the inside bend, kept my legs (and specifically my spurs) off, and started with a small circle. Then I had to keep the same band and use my SEAT AIDS and my weight aids to ask him to go sideways. I had to keep the inside rein active, not just hanging and holding, but suppling and collecting with the outside rein. Keep my inside spur off of him and use my inside seat bone and upper thigh to keep him bent. We would get it... and then I'd get excited and lose it, so Rana suggested that we aimed to only go halfway across the arena.. or even better, get a few good steps and as soon as he starts to lose his balance.... go straight in shoulder in and then leg yield back to the rail. This would help keep him from just throwing that shoulder out and falling and thus, propping and swapping. Aha! Our final run through we were able to do just that! Granted, we broke to the trot for a few strides going straight but he picked up the correct lead and leg yielded and I'm pretty sure it was off my weight aids! YAHOO!!! Good boy!

So yep... more to work on, but at least we're making somewhat of a forward trajectory. :)