Flatwork, A Green Horse, A Tiny Indoor: Recipe for a Thinking Ride

A good moment

In addition to the puppy adventure and my non-dressaging on Saturday, I finally got a look at what Courage and I have been working on, ie going forward in a longer frame and getting comfortable there.

Parts of it were good. It really wasn't my best ride lately, mostly because it was our first time in an indoor in the rain and I was a little distracted. But still. It wasn't great.

Alyssa hops on. She also took all these pictures except this one.

Courage is getting so much more consistent in the contact and happier in that longer/lower frame, but the added challenge of an indoor is that he has to do all those things on smaller figures, and he wasn't quite getting it. It probably didn't help that I would get frustrated with him because I wanted him to understand it already.It's the same thing we were already doing, JUST LOTS HARDER OK?

It was really fun to watch Alyssa tool around on Courage though. She has this way of riding nicely forward and never pulling or getting off balance, and he loves it.

exciting walking pic

Hm.

I made a new plan on Monday. Courage and I started out on a loose rein and did some basic lateral exercises at the walk. Turn on the haunches both ways, turn on the forehand both ways, and leg yield down the wall.

I wanted him responsive to my leg, so we kept at it until he understood.

Then we went forward.

Just like this pic

I literally had one hand on the buckle (and occasionally the neck strap, as the situation warranted) and I let Courage trot forward. We went both directions and the longer we went, the more he relaxed his topline and dropped his poll.

Now I had him responsive and forward.

Once he was comfortable there, making big laps around the arena, I added contact. I focused on maintaining his lower frame and the quality of his gait as I added in 20 meter circles.

we actually didn't canter

Then figure eights.

Then walk/trot/walk transitions.

Instead of being frustrated with Courage for not being responsive enough to do a three loop serpentine in a small space, I focused on letting him be successful at something he CAN do.

Right now, I want him relaxed, forward, and straight. The stronger he gets in that default, the more buttons I'll be able to add. Things like cantering and simple changes and cooler lateral moves.

So yeah, it's not perfect. But you know what? When Courage really engages his hind end and softens his topline in a big forward trot, it is SO MUCH FUN.

We'll get there.

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