The lovely boy has been feeling fab 
We have changed his snaffle to a Verbindend and noseband to a drop and what a difference...no setting of the neck,much more willing to stretch down and forward, nice soft mouth and flexion through the jaw...and although I am not a fan of the aesthetic qualities of a drop, I am a fan of the effect...it did the same for my old, no idea why i didn't try it earlier 
Maybe because it hasn't been awful in the kk and flash, but with the refinements at medium, it has definitely not been the easiest getting the harmony and relaxation we now seem to have 
Great to have trainer on site to go through the test sheet from last weekend, also fab that she saw the test and could put the comments to what she saw and refine our training on from that.
First port of call, that straightness through the stretchy warm up work...always a focus. We had a chat about my position as it always needs some work. But today she made it clear that the more advanced his training is getting, the more sensitive and responsive he is becoming, the more utterly VITAL it is that my signals are clear, consistent, balanced, focused 
If I am not sitting completely straight we aren't going to be going in a straight line.I also need to remember the aids to apply for a straight line!!! No, really!!! On the left rein, right leg on the girth, left leg 'slightly' behind the girth, weight on left seat bone, shoulders turned the way we are going, weight through elbows ensuring a giving hand...reverse for the right rein...easy you would think...man alive it makes my brain ache!!! 
Worked on that forward straightness through the transitions from walk to trot, trot to walk, walk to halt, always thinking of up and forward from the shoulder, taking that weight back using those hind legs....then progressing to changes of pace within the pace, particularly on and back in the trot, without rushing, loss of balance, sucking back, always forward and up to that giving hand 
Trainer wanted to look at canter as there has been an issue with my aids for left...sigh.... 
My positioning has been asking for counter canter on the left rein, so of course pony has been helpfully giving me counter canter!!! So what do we need? The inside hind stepping through...think shoulder fore before the transition, a soft inside contact, but not abandoning the rein, right leg properly back, weight to the outside, inside hip forward, but sitting tall, tall, tall....an active walk or trot also vital, up into the canter and balance, forward, balance, forward...riding the rhythm with the seat, not blocking wothe the hands...today we got some lovely, soft and balanced transitions into a much more balanced canter...he felt great. Walk to canter energetic, canter to walk, really thinking about collecting to a walk pace canter before closing the legs and riding the walk rhythm...we had some abrupt transitions on the left, so I need to make sure I am prepared,thinking ahead and keeping that connection soft but there!!! 
We then did a brilliant exercise to help me with the brain work for Medium tests. Trainer knows I am a berk when it comes to preparation and multi tasking!! 
So on the right rein, counter flexion round the corner, down the long side thinking about positioning of leg and seat: 4 steps of leg yield right, 2 straight, 4 steps of half pass left, 2 straight...change the rein and repeat on the other side....really helped me think about his flexibility, maoeuverability, relaxation, rhythm and most importantly where my legs, shoulders and seat need to be...we did it in walk first, then moved to trot...it immediately became obvious my tendency is to change the position of my leg aids when actually for this exercise it needs to stay the same, it is just the left and right leg that need to alternate whether they are supporting or asking for the wonderpony to step across. A real lightbulb moment...fab exercise for us
We finished with long, low stretches on both reins as he had worked very hard...but today he remained relaxed and calm and for us, that is a real turning point as when things get hard physically or mentally he has a tendency to throw some distraction techniques into the mix....delighted today!!
Clever pony 
Onwards!!!! 
Horses huh?Great levellers.... First trip out for 5 months, wasn't going to go, trainer made me...have FSM soon as she thought that would be the order of the day if I attempted it before any outings at all!!! Fair play, late entry sorted, trainer and YM both going, happy little outing...Yup, or more specifically errrrrrrrrrrrrr nope Things were going soooooo well until Wonderpony decided he had something in his ear...cue violent headshaking and throwing onesself around 
Thank god FP was on hand to remove fly veil quick smart...pony not happy about any touching of ears full stop, so this was the poor boy's worst nightmare....interrupted warm up threw me (creature of habit )I began to flap, Small brown continued to shake his rather furry ears/head around...difficult to get any sense out of him 
Told trainer I wasn't going in, trainer said I was 
Pony convinced whatever was/had been in his ear was eating him from the inside out...trundled down to arena in a tizz.....Test was a shocker consequently....found it nigh on impossible to get any flexion on the right rein (ear gaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) leg yield left consequently a more of a stagger and fall out, we reinvented the canter sections with a 10m circle in counter canter, a flat out gallop with me screehing 'Holy shit'to handbreak turn, a fancy skippty skip type thing in the medium walk....suffice it to say, had trainer not been watching I would have retired...not a great comeback that is without doubt Packed up and went straight home without waiting for score or sheet....tail thoroughly between our legsBy some miracle it seems we might have scraped 63% by all accounts...how in God's name we did that I have no idea 
In happier news Larry Sausage is on his way in the morning!!! 
Sooooooo. Yesterdays 'conversation' with the wonderpony went a little like this:SB: Oh hi Mum, you are late. You are going to have to hang on, we are about to have supper.Me: Ummm, no wonderpony, YOU are going to have to hang on, we need to work, especially after yesterday. It will still be there when you get back.SB: Hmmmph, not thinking that was the agreement.Me: No, indeed , it is a little out of the ordinary, but it won't kill you.SB: Mmmmmmm,we shall see.... that looks like a double bridleMe: Yes, it is Vera's, you like this one better than yoursSB:(visibly pissed off) We will see about that, look how I can grab it in my teeth and throw it towards the door.Me: 30 minutes, that's all we have to do. I even washed your saddle cloth.SB:We shall see, I am now facing the wall so I can't see you, that might make you go away. Oh, and I also filled my cheeks with hay to make up for the lack of supper, so now you are going to have to run the gauntlett with my gnashers to get it out...you might give up and let me stay in bed />/> Me: Mmmm, no. Thank you. Lets go out to the school.SB I can't, I just can't. It was so windy yesterday. Everything moved. The bin fell over, straw blew in front of my face. The electric fencing was making that weird whistly noise!! DON'T YOU REMEMBER??!!!! 
/>/> Me: Yup, it's not windy today. All will be well.Come on! />/> SB: Oh God, there are people in there. On horses. I haven't seen that one before. What if she looks at me?ME: It's fineSB: I tell you, she is looking at me. I am going to have to stay far. far. away />/> Me: Well, really you need to go where I want you to go. So relax, nice stretch round the outside track, it's fine.SB: I can't, nope, I can't. Holy shit, now she is leaving, and someone else is coming to lunge in the lunge pen, and WHAT are those two doing putting poles away next to the arena?! OH GOD, I AM GOING TO DIE!!!!! />/> Me: No one is going to die. You DO need to listen to me though />/> SB: If I stretch down I can't see over the fence, and that bin is looking very threatening again today.Me: SMALL BROWN!! You MUST stretch down and go forward, here is my leg asking you to go forward, her is my kind giving hand allowing you to stretch down...get on with it young man...SB: They have lit the bonfire now!!! We are doomed!! See how I can bounce up and down, make myself really big to protect you. My head can go really high!! Look!!! 
/>/> Me: This game is not funny any more, seeeee, people are actually looking at us now, and not in a good way. I am going to have to get my balls out of the bag, if you carry on...no one likes to see a lady get her balls out... />/> SB: But I can also go very fast with my head up your nose too! I have seen them do it like this on the tv, all pointy toes and snorty noses!!Look, see, if I head away from the bonfire we will both be safe...but you don't look that happy that I am saving you now Mum />/> Me: I am not happy now, you are quite correct wonderpony! 
/>/> Here are my balls, do what you are told...SB (now muttering under his breath) I wonder how big they ACTUALLY are...Me: So lovely BD lady said make you think, lets do some 10m circlesSB: In canter? I can canter!Me: No, in trot please.SB: I can canterME: I know you can canter....thing is I have asked for trot...SB: See this shoulder in lark, too, we need to talk about that...Me: We don't really need to talk about it...you NEED to do what you are told...PleaseSB: Did you ask for canter?ME: No I asked for trot half passSB: You definitely asked for canterMe: I definitely didn't (repeat at least 10 times more)SB: Shit, he is power washing his car next to the bonfire now!!!ME: I Know!!! He does it a lot, just not when you are being a turd generally!SB:I might be getting tired now...Me: Oh Good, then you will listen and get on with it perhaps, we have been here an hour already...we ARE NOT going in until I get some long, stretchy work from you and if that take another hour so be it...SB: Oh man, you sound cross />Me: I have had better hours of my life to be honest....can we remember how to trot nicely yet?SB: Ummmmm, yes.... /> Where has everyone gone?ME: I think they might have gone home, as we have been out here so long....is that a free walk on a long rein you are offering now?SB: Ummmm, might be /> Me: Did we die?SB: Ummm, no.Me: Might we be able to have a sensible session tomorrow?SB: No guarantees...I do love you Mum, really />
