Laddie is just lapping up his lessons. I hadn't seen him for10 days, and in that time he has developed quite some mastery of his lessons! He's carrying himself in a very relaxed frame, collecting/shortening his frame in a much slower tempo at both trot and canter. Jeremy tried him in a new bit yesterday, a loose ring snaffle, and he was very light in the contact and offered to take the rein lower and maintain loose contact on 20metre trot circles as required for Prelim (Level 2) tests...then re-took the contact to move into more lengthened paces.
Leg-yielding is developing nicely, even at the canter.
Today...huge progress from even yesterday!! Jeremy just asking to maintain rhythm but slowed the tempo even further, and he continues to spring lightly off the ground with active hind leg, showing Huge suspension AND offering some Passage and even Piaffe steps!! Wow!! Not deliberately asking for these, but he's Offering them!!! So exciting!! Collecting the canter..dropped back to trot, but maintained activity; you can see him developing strength in/for self-carriage.
On Friday, I'm told. the rain was coming in horizontally down one side of the arena and he was loathe to move off Jeremy's leg to yield right to the (rainy) boundary. So he threw in some flying changes, moving off the rider's leg, first one way, then the other, a number of times. No loss of balance, but just super clean changes....Just Offering!!
He just loves to get it right; super calm with his "good boy" praise from the rider...Then he Expects 2 carrots after shower and rugs!! Very pleased with himself!!
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