Training rides

Riley has had two training rides Friday and Saturday, so I decided to take the day off from riding (even though I was planing on going for a hack today). It's been a long time since I took a weekend day away from the barn and I slept in (highly unusual) but completely delightful.

Friday Emily rode Riley and said he felt really great. The big difference between where he was 6 months ago and where is now has a lot to do with his feet. He is still stiff tracking right, but I think once we unlock him a little he won't find it as hard. She was even able to get him to pick up the right lead canter 3 times. Saturday I planned to have her ride him again so I could see how he's looking under saddle and she could show me some tools to work into his routine. He's very focused on the cows and utilizing lateral work and some shoulder-in helps get his brain back. Emily commented that he feels much, much more forward than he did last year and that letting him move out and settle into the contact works best. He's very willing to find contact at the walk and trot but still needs work at the canter. I think once our transitions are confirmed the rest will come. Emily also said that she thinks the Pessoa had really helped his balance and that his willingness to utilize his topline.

Warming up, Emily commented that sitting the trot stabilizes him (and that he has the most comfortable trot ever!)

His concentration face.

Moving out beautifully and relaxed along his topline.

You can see there's more tension tracking right. Emily really drove him forward until he relaxed.

Stretching down into the contact. He loves doing this!

Proof! He DOES have a right lead canter and it's adorable.

YAY!

My takeaways from the ride were to keep his confidence up (lots of verbal and physical praise), give him lots of breaks between the hard work, use lateral work to help engage his hind end and to help him understand moving off my leg instead of leaning on it (he was not able to move off my leg at all last year, continue to encourage forward, always forward (which will help with the nappy behavior), lots of changes of direction keep his brain busy. Oh, and to ride him with a dressage whip so I can give him little taps behind my leg without losing focus. *He actually kicked out at the whip when he was being stubborn about picking up the right lead canter!!!

I have a few more training rides banked with Emily, and then I'm going to start paying her to ride him once a week. I'll be able to ride/lunge him at least 3 days and I think that will be plenty to get him ready for some schooling events. I want to at least use the Pessoa once a week to continue the improvement with his straightness and topline. We'll keep our serious rides on the shorter side 30-45 minutes and keep hacking out. 

I am really impressed with how he looks, being in a 20 acre hilly field has been good to his body. His condition is really great for a horse who essentially had the winter off.

**Also, just in case the horse world isn't small enough, I was in the city last night at one of my favorite bars and I chatting to a couple standing behind us... the girlfriend happens to be an advanced rider who sold Emily her most recent horse Brody!!!!! Whoa.