Gia - session 82 - We got to canter again today!
Gia felt pretty relaxed as I bridled her and walked her out to the arena today. So, I decided I did not need to lunge her today. She stood fairly still while I mounted. She fidgeted a little, but she is definitely improving in that area. Once I was on, I reminded her to stand still anytime she took a step, until she could stand for a count of three. That part was slightly better today too.
She did not feel as tense today at the walk, and we started out working on haunches left and going between the poles. She might have been slightly more resistant to move her haunches left today, but not by much. It was still way better than the first day, where she didn't understand it at all. I also worked with her on down transitions from walk to halt. Those took her a while, and I had to settle for a down transition that took several cues, but one where she didn't pull against me. I continued to give her a strong kick anytime she leaned on the bit during the down transition.
When I asked her to pick up the trot, I did feel a little tension, but only a small amount (as compared to earlier this week), and only for a short time. We worked between the poles on a figure 8, and worked on haunches left as well. After a few times through the poles, she was much more relaxed and understood what I was asking for. We also worked on down transitions from trot to walk, and those were much better! I was able to get the transition fairly centered between the poles and able to go right back to the trot within just a couple of walk steps, and all while keeping her straight! All of that is probably harder to do than it actually sounds. ☺
At one point, after quite a bit of relaxed trot work, Gia, very politely, asked if she could canter. We were tracking left, and I was asking her to put her haunches left, and she just gave a few steps of relaxed and balanced canter instead. It was MUCH better than the moments from the past two rides where she was very anxious about whether or not my leg cue meant canter or something else. It was almost like she was saying "Is this what you want?", rather than "I just can't get this! It doesn't make any sense!". I didn't allow the canter at that time, but a few minutes later, when the trot work was going pretty well, and after a short break, I decided to actually ask for the canter for real and see what would happen. What happened was the nicest, most balanced transition we've ever had! She didn't struggle with the transition, she just stepped right into the canter like she's been doing it all her life! She was also much more willing to sustain the canter today. For the first canter transition, I started her in her easy direction - tracking left. Tracking right has always been pretty sticky, but when I asked for it today, it was just as nice, if not better, than her canter to the left! She also had no problem sustaining the canter in that direction as well.
After cantering once in each direction, I went back to asking for walk to halt transitions again, since that was the hardest thing for her today. As soon as I got a decent one (where she didn't pull down on me), I hopped off and ended her session there. She was so exhausted from the less than 30 minute ride we had, that her head was almost touching the floor when I took her back into the crossties! Hopefully, she will gain more endurance as we go along ☺.
She did not feel as tense today at the walk, and we started out working on haunches left and going between the poles. She might have been slightly more resistant to move her haunches left today, but not by much. It was still way better than the first day, where she didn't understand it at all. I also worked with her on down transitions from walk to halt. Those took her a while, and I had to settle for a down transition that took several cues, but one where she didn't pull against me. I continued to give her a strong kick anytime she leaned on the bit during the down transition.
When I asked her to pick up the trot, I did feel a little tension, but only a small amount (as compared to earlier this week), and only for a short time. We worked between the poles on a figure 8, and worked on haunches left as well. After a few times through the poles, she was much more relaxed and understood what I was asking for. We also worked on down transitions from trot to walk, and those were much better! I was able to get the transition fairly centered between the poles and able to go right back to the trot within just a couple of walk steps, and all while keeping her straight! All of that is probably harder to do than it actually sounds. ☺
At one point, after quite a bit of relaxed trot work, Gia, very politely, asked if she could canter. We were tracking left, and I was asking her to put her haunches left, and she just gave a few steps of relaxed and balanced canter instead. It was MUCH better than the moments from the past two rides where she was very anxious about whether or not my leg cue meant canter or something else. It was almost like she was saying "Is this what you want?", rather than "I just can't get this! It doesn't make any sense!". I didn't allow the canter at that time, but a few minutes later, when the trot work was going pretty well, and after a short break, I decided to actually ask for the canter for real and see what would happen. What happened was the nicest, most balanced transition we've ever had! She didn't struggle with the transition, she just stepped right into the canter like she's been doing it all her life! She was also much more willing to sustain the canter today. For the first canter transition, I started her in her easy direction - tracking left. Tracking right has always been pretty sticky, but when I asked for it today, it was just as nice, if not better, than her canter to the left! She also had no problem sustaining the canter in that direction as well.
After cantering once in each direction, I went back to asking for walk to halt transitions again, since that was the hardest thing for her today. As soon as I got a decent one (where she didn't pull down on me), I hopped off and ended her session there. She was so exhausted from the less than 30 minute ride we had, that her head was almost touching the floor when I took her back into the crossties! Hopefully, she will gain more endurance as we go along ☺.
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