Simon lesson 04-02-12

Mission today - get him softer into the contact.

Walk work first.  Tending to nod his head in the medium walk.  What happens is I pick up the contact, he tightens in front of the saddle, stops any connection and bobs his head.  Need to keep the back end engaged and stepping through.  Work on picking up much slower at home, notch 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 not 5 to 1 in one go.  Also do shoulder in on the circle then very gradually straighten not allowing the head to come up and keeping the throughness from inside hand to outside rein.

Then basically the same thing in trot, asking for shoulder fore on the circle, keeping the neck down a bit and getting inside flexion then gradually straighten but if head comes up then re-establish bend and softness before straightening again.  Work on reducing the trot almost back to walk then pushing on again, all the time needing to stay soft and engaging the inside hind.

When changing the rein across the diagonal keep the original bend until the last couple of strides then straighten then new bend and change diagonal in the corner.

Then we did a bit of canter, first on the right rein which felt simply lovely although the transition in was a little sticky then on the left rein where the transition was perfect but he was a little more resistant to keep the inside flexion.  I seem to have taught him that just moving my outside leg back slightly before I sit and ask for the transition with inside leg means I get a really direct canter transition from the inside leg aid as he knows what I'm going to ask for.  Not entirely sure it would be much use if we get to needing to do trot half pass but I feel this is unlikely to happen!  Still need to practice co-ordinating my aids on the right rein better.  I know I do something different which is partly why he comes up and back in the transition - just need to work out what!

Finished with some super trot, soft in my hand, really felt like he was letting go over the back and also in his mouth.  Now I just need to replicate it at home and then at a show - not too much to ask then!  Just a bit of tension creeping in and it all goes to pot!  And now we have snow - with 5wks till first event I do not need poxy snow!