Thinking Forward

Two rides in one week on Cisco??? Whaaaat?

Yep, he got ridden again on Wednesday. He was the same as the previous day - kind of a twit in the barn and while getting ready, but fairly relaxed on the lunge line. I didn't lunge him as long so that I could do a bit more under saddle with him.

The ride itself wasn't too exciting. Steering was a bit wonky at the beginning of the trot, but got better. He was a bit sticky at a trot going to the left, but when I asked for a slightly bigger trot he gave it to me. He was fussy in the contact (not that there is much contact yet), and had some moments of retracting his neck, but a moment later he pushed his nose forward. His halts were not as good as he can do. But overall, everything went as I expected, and for the most part better than I expected.

Phantom is already super fluffy

I have seen a bit of what I think is progress the last couple of times that I have lunged him in the scary end of the arena. There are pigeons that live down there, and like to fly up as a horse goes past them, and make noise in an open duct at the end. They are terrifying pigeons, at least to Cisco.

She will still get fluffier. 

His normal reaction when on the lunge or when being ridden at that end is to stop when he hears an unexpected noise or some sudden flapping. He stops, and sometimes tries to leave.

But the last couple of times at that end, when something unexpected happens, he keeps going. He might slow himself down, or do a stutter step, or there was the time he went from a canter to a momentary halt, but then trotted off right away. He's thinking forward.

There was a very loud noise today that spooked him, and he scooted forward a few steps. Normally there would be a good chance that he would stop as he approached that spot again. Today he kept trotting. Yes, he trotted faster, and dropped his shoulder away from that spot. For about two laps. By the third lap, his pace stayed the same. Another two laps, and he was staying out on the circle.

Fingers crossed that this continues and will carry over to when I ride him.