Went for a hack up the ranges last night and picked a different route to avoid the madness pre-gallop hill. Picked a route with lots of different up and down hills. Worked on collecting the canter back up after letting him gallop, leg on, sit up and get the canter back - good practice for XC. He was pretty tired after our last long canter so mission achieved!
Schooling this afternoon and he was brilliant! After our last few sessions which have been a bit rubbish it was a relief! Making a note of what we did as he went so nicely so prob a good regime to follow. We started very long and low, concentrating on getting him swinging over his back and getting him forwards off my leg. Moved the trot on and back whilst keeping him swinging and it all felt lovely. Did this in trot and canter then a walk break. Next picked him up more and worked on lots of transitions on a 20m circle - direct ones and progressive ones. All the time working on not holding him in an outline, esp in the canter. He did some lovely walk to canter on the left rein and his best ones yet on the right rein. A couple of months ago we started the direct transitions and it was rubbish - he couldn't stay round in the trans and he wouldn't go direct but they're really coming on now. Good timing as realised N39 on Wed has walk to canter in it! We then did some pole work - I set out 2 lines of 3 poles - one line 2 strides apart so on a nice short bouncy stride for him and the other line on 3 strides which was a bit long for him at this stage. He couldn't quite lengthen that much without flattening and running which I dont want to encourage so wont put them quite so far apart next time. Worked on moving from one set to the other. After doing the short ones sat up round the corner and got a couple of nice canter to walk transitions. Finally did a bit of work in canter on the left rein on a 20m circle and managed to give away the reins and have him take the rein down and not stick his head up like a giraffe and bog off so that has got to be progress. :)
Schooled Llewi afterwards - not much fun. He felt stiff in canter although ok in trot. I really need to find him a new happy hacking home :(
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