Another Good lesson, also with sissy

Today we went to a lesson with Rana and brought Sissy along. They hauled well and weren't as bad as I thought there. I groomed them both at the trailer together and tacked Dan up with everything but his bridle. Then I put her in a stall. She was screaming for him and looked like she might consider jumping out the window, so we shut it. Dan was jumpy and calling for her but he did let me walk him down to the arena. We walked around a good bit and he was trying. He would brace and invert and call.. but then he'd feel gentle pressure and he'd let go and soften his neck. Then he'd pick his head back up and call and then soften again. Eventually, about 15 minutes in, he started to focus on the work. And she had stopped calling out at him too, so that helped. We got some good work in and he was really trying hard to be a good boy. 

Rana told me to keep my elbows at my hips. I was confused because I thought I was... so I asked for clarification. She wants my elbows slightly in front of me... at my front and middle belt loops... not literally at my side. OH!!! Ha ha. I tried it and it's freakin' hard! She was cracking up at my face that I accidentally made at her. hee hee. And dang... that's hard! It's like basically using the equicube because my core was struggling! Ooooohhhhh... that's good info brain! Keep that in mind Holly. :) 

We also did our trot half passes again. She reminded me that my body should mimic what I want his body to do. And it's not just turning my shoulders.. my whole body (legs and seat) also need to move. Like... exactly how I half pass at the walk... do it at the trot. Duh! But for some reason I get locked up in the trot. Especially going to the left. But we had a really good one at the end where he just floated over! He's in between my aids and soft and not bracing or fighting me. It's lovely! Big change from when we first started this and I was fighting him so much. 

But yeah. We quit with that because he was trying super hard and put in some good work. I untacked him and let him have a few bites of grass and rinsed him and then he sat quite quietly in the trailer while we worked Funny. GOOD BOY! Maybe we can start making this a regular occurence and they'll get used to it and not be so loud.