Was that.... submission?!?
The indoor arena is still flooded from all the rain this past weekend, so I had to ride outside. When I got to the barn, Trigger had JUST gone out to the paddock, so he was definitely none too pleased about being caught. I kinda wondered how our ride would work when he was so obviously unhappy about being pulled away from his paddock.
I started by lunging in side reins, as I do before every ride right now. He wasn't as stretchy tonight as he was yesterday, but was still forward and had nice canter departures and downward transitions.
Our ride started with a walk, working on shoulders-in and shoulders-out on the rail. Here is the conversation that took place:
Me: leg yield
T: maybe..... RAISE HEAD!
Me: head to knee, disengage hindquarters!... now walk on
T: maybe.... RAISE HEAD!
Me: head to knee, disengage! ... now walk on!
etc....
until...
T: RAISE HEAD!
Me: head to knee, disengage!... now walk on!
T: ears- *thunk... *flop flop flop....
I believe that was pure submission I saw there as his ears flopped up and down out to the sides. So we moved on to trotting, just working on little 10 meter circles every time he decided to pull on me more than I thought was appropriate. He didn't really toss his head at all at the trot, but instead gave quietly around the 10 meter circles. When I asked him to canter to the right, it was a very ugly departure, and wrong lead at that. I worked on myself at this point, I do have a tendency to hold his outside rein a little too tight, so I loosened it, and his departures became a lot more smooth. I turned him to the left and just like yesterday, when I asked him to canter, he tipped his nose in as he departed. I had him canter a couple times while giving with his head and then I decided to call it a night. I trotted him about 1/4 way down the center line and asked for a halt, I got a soft, supple, square halt, so I called it a day and dismounted. He is DEFINITELY improving and I'm trying to keep our rides nice and short to emphasize that, only working on what I plan to and stopping as soon as he does it right. It seems to be working so far. I think tomorrow night I'm going to try to work on the right lead canter a little more, as he is still being a little persnickety about departing on that lead.
I started by lunging in side reins, as I do before every ride right now. He wasn't as stretchy tonight as he was yesterday, but was still forward and had nice canter departures and downward transitions.
Our ride started with a walk, working on shoulders-in and shoulders-out on the rail. Here is the conversation that took place:
Me: leg yield
T: maybe..... RAISE HEAD!
Me: head to knee, disengage hindquarters!... now walk on
T: maybe.... RAISE HEAD!
Me: head to knee, disengage! ... now walk on!
etc....
until...
T: RAISE HEAD!
Me: head to knee, disengage!... now walk on!
T: ears- *thunk... *flop flop flop....
I believe that was pure submission I saw there as his ears flopped up and down out to the sides. So we moved on to trotting, just working on little 10 meter circles every time he decided to pull on me more than I thought was appropriate. He didn't really toss his head at all at the trot, but instead gave quietly around the 10 meter circles. When I asked him to canter to the right, it was a very ugly departure, and wrong lead at that. I worked on myself at this point, I do have a tendency to hold his outside rein a little too tight, so I loosened it, and his departures became a lot more smooth. I turned him to the left and just like yesterday, when I asked him to canter, he tipped his nose in as he departed. I had him canter a couple times while giving with his head and then I decided to call it a night. I trotted him about 1/4 way down the center line and asked for a halt, I got a soft, supple, square halt, so I called it a day and dismounted. He is DEFINITELY improving and I'm trying to keep our rides nice and short to emphasize that, only working on what I plan to and stopping as soon as he does it right. It seems to be working so far. I think tomorrow night I'm going to try to work on the right lead canter a little more, as he is still being a little persnickety about departing on that lead.