Fine Then!

Cisco came into the barn on Wednesday evening with a bit of a 'tude. He wouldn't stand still while I was tacking him up, he kept trying to flip the blanket off the rack in front of him (and it wouldn't fall off, which probably pissed him off even more) and I was going slowly because I kept messaging people about what had gone down yesterday.

I kind of thought he'd be a bit of a turd when we got into the arena, but he wasn't too bad. I did some TRT groundwork before getting on just to make sure his brain was firmly lodged in his head. It seemed to be.

He had these marks all over his butt, as did one of his fieldmates. Could this be the reason for his idiot dance?

This was the first ride since my lesson last Thursday. Thus the plan was to work on the same stuff we had done on that day - namely teaching Cisco to put together the concept of inside seatbone application means step into the outside rein with the inside hind.

I let him mostly warm-up at a walk on a loose rein.  I wanted there to be a clear distinction of either being on a loose rein or working into a connection. I intended to let him trot on a loose rein, but he apparently remembered our last ride and kept himself much rounder and straighter than he normally did. And slow.

We did just a few minutes of trot before I brought him back to a walk and shortened my reins to begin the real work. By which I mean mostly brain work, not physical work.

We started the same as we did in the lesson - halt, ask for a turn on the forehand type step from the seatbone, but keep him straight and keep a connection with the outside rein.

Cisco definitely remembered the concept. But like the beginning of the lesson last week, he wasn't real happy about it. Backwards and forwards and sideways and stick a front foot out and not move at all and move only the shoulders. And when he did take the step from my seatbone, it was huge and I couldn't stop him - still a hissy fit move.

And then he suddenly stopped. And halted quietly. And waited for me to ask him to move, and took one reasonable step at a time when he did. And it pretty well stayed that way.

At that point he got much praise and more long rein breaks.

Fall is definitely here - it's rainy and cool for the next few days. The "s" word has also been uttered for this weekend. 

We spent most of the ride at a walk or halt, but did throw in some trot. The whole inside seatbone thing at a trot is much harder for me, although after the walk work he is starting much straighter at the trot. He is trying though!

I have to watch myself though - when tracking right and I pick up my reins to put him together, he really wants to drop the right shoulder in, and I want to try to bend him right as the correction. I need to stay off my right rein, and use my right seatbone to straighten him out into my left rein instead. Gotta fight my instinct on this one.

I plan for my next couple of rides to go the same way, adding some more trot. Hopefully his temper tantrum won't last as long next time and we can get right into the "work".