Gathered Ransom, lunged him in the side reins 5 each way, and hopped on.
Rode TL 3 pieces as a warmup. I didn't demand perfect collection, but wanted to ride the parts, and see how much I remembered. He did quite well, and I didn't screw up the pattern. *whew* Maybe I won't be dependant on a caller to make it through.. Maybe..
His canter has become more even, and it's not easy. It's taking a LOT of focus and concentration to keep it light on the rail, and balanced on the circle. Steady is the word here...
The walk? I only argued with him once as I shortened the reins. I think I've uncovered the secret. Forward Forward in my seat as I shorten the reins, but don't add leg. If I add leg, he thinks "Trot". So... I did this a good dozen times, both directions, lengthening into free walk only long enough to get it pretty, then shorten again, get five or six good strides, and lengthen again.
We did argue however... In halt straight to trot. Each tests calls for this, so I'm fooling myself if I think I can keep up walking three or four steps to start. Now, on TL1, yeah, I can probably get away with it. TL2, maybe. TL3, seriously,,, again, let's not fool me into thinking I can keep up with the easing shortcuts. Ransom thought it'd be real cute to ignore the leg, ignore the seat, pop his head into the clouds, and flat out refuse to trot out pretty. I backed him up, turned him on the haunches, got back to "X", and asked again and again. When he finally did it nice, and collected, I pushed him up the centerline, turned to the rail, and trotted a bit before slowing to walk, easing on the reins immediately, and a hearty pat pat "good Boy".
In the midst of that battle, R arrived. We remembered for each other how the video works on the camera, and he shot at least a dozen video clips of leg yield attempts. Those posted were the best of the bunch. Sad, I know.. They're not all GrandPrix perfect, legs crossing over three or four feet with each stride. But he is giving, he is yielding, and relaxing towards the rail, without having to bend his neck too much. I'm getting more left to right, but at least we're getting some now right to left. I'm satisfied that things are getting better over time, and the chiro work seems to have been successful.
Total work, well over an hour. I settled down on the lower arena circle, and asked for stretching trot, rode a circle of it, then gathered him back up. I asked R to video it, with the hopes of seeing how Ransom has been when I gather him back up. Does he overflex to get away from my hands? Is he nose-out, nose-in, vertical, or just hanging on my hands, leaning on the forehand? Well, leave it to Ransom to see the video camera, know I needed to see him do it, and I got a perfect return to working trot. His stretching down trot wasn't as stretchie as I would've liked, and have seen recently, but when I shortened my reins back up, he gave right to my hands. Probably hoping if he got it "right", I'd halt him & quit. Big Monster was right ..
Cooled him down, brushed out the saddle sweat marks, and stuck him in paddock lock up. Harley was waiting at the buckets, either to be fed, or played with. Either way, he wasn't tolerating being ignored any longer.
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