Double header

 Lesson with Liz: no stirrups to get the balance and hang of it. hard but not as hard as I thought. then picked up my stirrups, then dropped half hole. then played with it. getting the hang of it. 

best canter ever! So uphill feeling! but I have to help support hiim witih my core. Don't just let him flop around. ;) That's when he falls on his forehand and trips. Literally. Support him. And when I make him be straight and more correct in the canter, it's harder so i have to have a little more leg and support. but he lopes off a smooch now ;) 

trottinig was nice too. Don't post so big... think almost siit the the trot. small post. and sit. but still use my core and lift my core. but much easier to find my balance in it today. and it helped his trot be more of a lope and smoother but still quite powerful and engaged. quite nice. 

don't do too much with my aids... shorter, softer, quieter and longer aids... ask... give him time to answer. I'm piing ponginig him with my aids, all of them. and while ii have to sit to the outside/sink into outside stirrup, I sitll have to ask for bend around my insidie leg. but allow the stretch to the outside. 

oh, and maybe this saddle makes himi so happy because it puts me farther back inii the tack. on his back. in other words... I'm siittiing slightly farther back for hsi caenter of balance and maybe that's allownig him to be so uphill. 

very good boy. didn't do a ton because... double header.

loaded up and hauled to linda's that evening for a EOH lesson with Judy and Teller. He did pretty good though he did eat the gate once and tried to knock over a barrel. And messed with Teller some. And then at the bridge, he got bored and tried to take charge and "lengthen down centerline" to it! Nope! Liked linda a lot! very very helpful and lots of great advice. I defniitely need to read the rules. apparently when you walk the course you have to do it "dressed". no ballcaps. And... "they don't care"... ie... I still have to approach the gate at the center. Just because he's long backed and has a big stride.. they don't care. the rules are rules. beginninig of lesson we did tiny walk... make it smaller... make it smaller...even smaller, but keep walking. that's a half halt. cool! helpful for all the ponies. she made a metronome to play with and got the gaits very pure. also helps keep their attention. 

no whips in EOH. keep him small. He gets big and I lose him (like inii the shallow serpentine). it's hard!! Harder than it looks. it's simple, but not that easy. But lots of fun!

photos: 4-26 new saddle lesson, 4-26 linda lesson  and then lzi and linda videos