Today was a good day!
I had a lesson with Kelly Eaton again at Ashland. Because it had poured hard all night I got to ride in the covered arena. That's really nice footing! And we had mirrors. Which, I forgot to use. But Dan enjoyed. Kelly and I were laughing at him because everytime he came towards himself in the mirror his ears went flat against his head. Ha ha. "I think he's snarling at himself... he is!". Yep. That would be Dan.
I parked at the showgrounds and we hacked up to the arena. That's a nice little but work out going that way. It's all uphill. So we got a good warm up. Then while we waited for our turn we walked around the field in front of the arena which was full of clover. Dan was snacking every chance he could. Goober. Then we went in for our lesson and in the beginning he was a bit distracted and looky. But he settled. I told Kelly that we had his hocks done and we had been doing our homework and I was still just worried about whether I was doing it right or just letting him plod along on the forehand. So we got started. She said right from the start he looked stronger and good. She was quite pleased! So we did our trot and she had me take a shorter rein. But only if he was taking it. In other words... kind of what I had been doing. I wasn't lifting him up... I was allowing him to come up. And he was coming up because he's stronger. Whoo hoo! So we worked on that. She noticed that tracking right he was a bit tipped. She had me do a tiny bit of counter flexion. And she warned me that every fiber of me being would want to do the opposite. And she was correct! He felt very stiff on the left side and like he couldn't stretch out that side. I kept asking him to move his barrel over with my right leg (and whip), which is correct, but... to help ourselves... Kelly wanted me to try counterflexion. But DON'T use my outside leg to push him into the right rein because the point of the counterflexion was to get him actually IN the outside rein. Because he is cheating and not really in the outside rein which is why I keep wanting to use my inside leg. And I kept wanting to use my inside rein too, but that's not the answer. Ride to the light, give to the heavy. Ahhhh yeah. So I tried it and it's magic! I asked for more connection on the outside rein creating an outside flexion, keeping my outside leg off. Then once he straightened up and was more even in both reins, I could add my inside leg and turn my shoulders to the inside and allow him to go back to straight while keeping that outside rein connection. It worked!!! And much quicker after the first time or two. He's getting it! And it's a true outside rein connection. Awesome!!!
So then to touch on the "on the forehand" stuff. She explained that he has to go towards the bit first and foremost. And because of his neck arthritis, he has to keep his neck long. And as he gets stronger he will lift his withers and shoulders up on his own. I can't lift him with the reins. And to be strong like that, he has to be strong behind so that he can take the weight. And that takes times. Months Holly months!! BUT.... she said 6 and we're already a month in, so only 5 more. Ha ha. So we played a little bit with some strengthening exercises. She had me pick up the trot and get him happy and in the soft connection. Then she had me slow him down by using my core and seat and slowing my post. Ah!!! Except that once he started to dive down, push him forward again. And don't push him forward like I'm shooting him out of a cannon... let him ease back into forward. The changes within the gait build strength. And the slower tempo builds strength. And when he starts to fall/tip, asking him to go forward builds strength. And all of these things will help him stay off his forehand. It was fun! I did wonder if by sending him forward again when he got low in his neck would teach him to cheat and just go low to get out of work. She said that by sending him forward, in that moment, he had to push, so it is still work. So cool. We can play with that. My timing of my aids is getting better at this kind of thing too!
So then we went into the canter. I told her how his upward transition is just... icky. He braces and throws his head up and the only way I could figure out how to get him to not do that is to hold a much heavier contact and basically "hold his head down", but I knew that was wrong. So she watched us do one and figured it out. She's brilliant. She said that the head flinging up is just a result of earlier steps and to not focus on his head. In his upwards (even a little bit in the trot but I'm better at realizing and catching it) he throws his shoulders out, his haunches in, and completely goes out of balance. Then he has to throw his head up in the air to canter. So... rather than trying to catch the train once it's off the rails, let's keep it on track. So what I need to do is AS I'M ASKING FOR THE UPWARD, not before, ride a shoulder in. Basically as my outside leg goes back and my hips swing forward, I need to move both my hands to the inside to keep his nose between his shoulders. This keeps him straight and then he can use himself to go into the canter. And.. it's hard, but it works! We got one really nice transition! And then I'm not cranking on his face or holding him (which is not ideal for many reasons the least of being him not in self carriage and definitely not being relaxed and unbraced). He's in self carriage and he's then going to build better muscling. Whoo hoo. We had to do it both ways though it's easier going to the right I think. But yay! He had a nice canter although he fell out of it a few times. At least even when he fell out of it he was still in a much more balanced trot that he has been. Yay! We got some good downwards on purpose too. Oh, and speaking of downwards, our big trot to small trot is also a good way to go from trot to walk. :)
He deserved it after today :)
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