Groundpole lesson with Jacel

 Lesson with Jacel: Ride with my thighs. Use my thighs to guide the shoulder, use my legs/calves to guide the hind limbs, and no hands. was able to steer with my body, slow his trot with my core and thighs, and get him nice and bouncy. Had to cheat and use my hands to get him to not canter the small jump but was able to get in and get out. 

talked about how it's better to ride him "His way" so that he is comfortable and do things than end up making him uncomfortable again in an effort to win. so... if he wants to be on a looser connection and have a long neck, so be it. Also.. flexibility first... flexibility can build strong muscles... building muscles without flexibility creates tension. 

started with square turns and then rode the trot circle thinking square turn the entire time. Ride the haunches out. Oh.... and lo and behold, he connects himself to the outside rein! He wasn't as "short/collected/small" as when I did shorten the reins, but... he also still wasn't flingy. And he felt more powerful and like it was almost as collected but more powerful. But mostly.. happier!! He didn't feel like he wanted to hollow or brace and no tongue. SO..... that might just be our happy place and so be it. 

cantering still felt a hair like he needed to stay very open because if he got round at all, he shut down, but... he didn't feel inverted or hollow or like he had to throw his head up to keep the canter after the very initial part. 

Will have to play with things and see if I'm overthinking... and if I can find the balance between all the things I want... balance, self carriage, soft connection but not strung out, inverted or holding in his neck.

did alternating trot poles... then added canter poles... then back to trot for the vertical (Or tried... dan hates trotting poles) and then canter a ground pole. while he didnt' always trot it.. (well, he only trotted it officially once), he was sitting behind and pushing and lifting the front end! yay! 

Weight training! Conditioning. Strengthening... And it was so hot. Hard work!

Then had time (i thought!) so hacked to the lake. Boy was tired and dragging. Splashed a bit in the lake. Saw two goslings still. then had to rush back to get home before patrick arrived to replace Lyrics shoe so cantered the XC field back home. Sorry tired boy!

Acupunctured at home. did balance method - 12 magicals - and then electro. getting some movement again, so maybe it's not entirely dead. had to yell at him for being silly but then he was perfect.