more mouth training

Really concentrating on the mouth and neck this week. For the past 2 days I have been lunging before riding "french style," where the lunge line passes through the bit ring and goes back to the saddle or surcingle. This has helped him stretch well, at least while lunging, and I think it has carried over to his riding. Today I rode in the double but knotted the curb reins and never touched them. His jaw was the most mobile yet. I will use this combination again.

Nice shoulder in at the trot. Renvers/travers still stargazing, but some progress. I think we are figuring it out together.

better at the trot

Jordan is developing a solid shoulder in at the trot with a soft mouth. It was really fun today. Definitely getting better at coming off that left outside leg in travers and half pass. Took outside lead in canter when I asked for it on the left rein, which is also progress. Really mixing his sessions up with walk, trot, canter, and halts all over the place. Impulsion for lateral work at the trot is outstanding. Two sessions today in the ring.

really nice trot

Trot really coming along. Warming up with half-circles in canter, which were mostly calm. Really nice shoulder-in at trot, although I start losing some of the good contact when I start with half-passes in trot. Shoulder-in/renvers/shoulder-in at walk very smooth and easy. Multiple walk-trot transitions: need work. Right half pass at 85%--room for improvement. Nice sessions yesterday and today, in good cool conditions.

first flying change!

Crimenee! My wife beat me to it. Without telling me she was going to try anything, she asked for a change coming out of a tight turn around a barrel at the canter. He gave a beautiful, calm, clean change both times Maria asked for it. Go Jordan! But I'm jealous that I wasn't first. :)

back to baucher

Another nice session this morning. He's very calm, even dull. I stopped everything to do a bunch of transitions, just to wake him up a bit. Trot work in the stretch is really getting fun. But I'm also stopping to do lateral flexions at the halt. We did this two months ago NH style, on one rein and letting the contact drop on the outside. Now he has to keep his head up, maintain contact on the outside, and flex at the poll. I think this is helping. He could only do this to the right last week, but now it's good on both sides. His mouth and jaw have definitely softened a lot lately.

Whenever he stops lifting the bit I raise my hands and wait for the jaw to flex. I think my timing has gotten better on this exercise. Stretch at the canter is still hard to find, but it's almost constant at the trot now. I'm very happy. Just wish we could go out in a week or two and re-do those dressage tests!

Here's a couple more shots from last Saturday's show. I'm actually really pleased--this was the best he was capable of doing that day.

The Big Show!

Lots to tell. Jordan & I worked hard all last week getting ready for the RCPC show. We managed to get over there twice in the past month just to introduce him to the facility, but we were largely "winging it." We had never done the tests before, just worked on the movements and trusted our reader. The dressage tests were accurate but he was a bit hollow, especially for our first test. But he did as well as I had hoped, and he got better as the day went on. The jumping portion was just a pleasure. Our friend Jane got me very well prepped and confident, and we went out and jumped a perfect course. He was so calm and composed! Can't wait to do it again.

Our recent rides have included more mouth work, "action-reaction" neck stretching, and canter departs. He's already twice the horse he was on Saturday. Wish there was another show next weekend!

Another all-time best trail ride!

Tracy picked us up at 8:30 this morning and we rode out of Neubauer's again. Maria rode Jordan, Tracy was on Rico, and I rode Peppy. Peppy was a little cranky and tried bucking when I pushed him out in front. Later on he tried bucking when he was being left behind. Basically, Peppy just tested me every time we did something which required work. But he gave me a good ride, all in all.

We went down the big hill and rode around South Country, then crossed the river. Jordan actually led going into the river and did not show any concern! WOW! The boys hung out in the river and generally had a great time.

I rode back to the barn early and let the girls tear around the woods some more. Jordan had just an incredible day. At least two hours on the trail, with miles of canter and trot. Maria had a blast.

In the arena yesterday Jordan did well. We counter-cantered on both reins easily, using a serpentine to set up the outside lead, and riding in counter canter around the "racetrack." He felt very solid. Towards the end we did some trot work that included half passes on both reins. Really nice work. Yesterday's session was in the double bridle.

2' 3"

Really really smooth session this morning. First real halt-trot transitions. Very light back off of the halt, and semblance of back-trot transition. Beautiful canter on both reins in warmup. Trot on the circle in shoulder in and renvers on both rein. Nice lateral work on the snaffle only.

Jumping of single vertical in both directions--the left rein is still weaker for jumping. He knocked over his first attempt at 2' and 2'3" on the right rein, but took the left rein cleanly. We are working without a placing pole to make life easy. But they were beautiful fun jumps.