Things Are Starting to Come Together

Since my lesson on Cisco 2 weeks ago, he's been ridden 3 times. For the most part I am following the "on the bit or on the buckle" mantra that I found on someone else's blog (can't remember who). He's either being asked for flexion and to not be a giraffe, or he gets a loose rein and I don't really ask anything of him.

It seems to be paying off. Through our walk warm-up on Tuesday, I tried to get him to take the bit forward and down a bit more. He is getting the idea of the down part, but not quite there with the forward part.

We had a bunch of good walk/trot transitions. He has the idea that I don't want him to be a giraffe through the transition, and if he bobbles and his head pops up it might be just for a second and he drops it again. I also like the feeling of him pushing into my hands through the transition at this point.

A crappy gif from a phone propped on a barrel on my ride after my lesson on Cisco a couple of weeks ago.

The trot itself? Well, he was a bit fresh, so the rhythm was a bit erratic. And the door at the far end of the arena, previously dubbed the scary end, was wide open, and since there are horses in the field outside the door Cisco now wants to go there to gawk at the ponies. Which he lets me know about by totally blowing through his outside shoulder on the open part of the circle at the other end of the arena.

Otherwise, it's still at the erratic head down for a couple of strides, pop up, and back down again stage. He's trying. At the end, we had most of a large circle where he was this close to reaching forward and down. Like, one more inch probably would have done it. So I'm very happy with where the trot is going.

Then there was that right lead canter problem from the last ride. It popped up again. I had to use my same turn last minute at the wall trick to get the canter, which worked on the second attempt. Then he was able to do a nice forward large circle and a half. I even managed to put my inside leg on for a couple of strides and he kinda sorta bent a bit around my leg for a whole stride and a half.

I had set my phone on the barrel before I got on and voice activated it when I was ready to record. This is the beginning of the video. Perfect timing Cisco.

I might just do right lead canter for the next couple of rides to make sure that picking that lead up is cemented. I also need to actually start schooling the transition, doing them on a bit of repeat with the correct aids so that I can start to influence the lead. That will likely be the project for next week when I'm off and can get a few consistent rides in.

That and trailer practice, trail riding, cleaning all my tack, re-organizing my tack box, finish washing the remaining winter apparel that hasn't been done, repairing almost all Cisco's winter apparel,  jumping Phantom for the first time in forever, getting a lesson in on Phantom.....  A nice, relaxing week of vacation.