Weekend Updates

Friday was misty and cool, but instead of hauling out we all decided to wait out the rain. I was both relieved and disappointed. I was nervous to haul Mort someplace new both because he hasn’t travelled a lot lately and I was worried he wouldn't get back on the trailer to come home. But I also knew that it would be good for us and get us to the facility where the clinic is to help him get used to it. Oh well--we may have a chance this week as there is even more rain in the forecast. Ugh. Mort was awesome on Friday. He stood well for grooming and tacking and I didn't have to tackle any of the standing issues that I did on Thursday. I did throw him in his stall after I had groomed him and wrapped his legs because the rain was taking forever to go away and I didn't feel like making him stand ground-tied for an hour. All four of us were riding together, but Mort did a good job keeping his focus on me instead of wanting to hang with his friends. This is a noticeable improvement from our time here and riding with others regularly. He was nicely forward and we warmed-up on a loose rein in the walk and trot. I started to pick him up and he stayed with me. I played with the shoulder-in on a circle that we had worked on the day before at the walk. I can tell that it's difficult for him, but he came around to it a lot faster and with much less of a struggle in both the walk and trot. I cantered him and he was really "there" for me. Of course, when he's on I ride better too. I felt my hips open and I was sitting up and able to use myself more efficiently. I touched on some counter canter, but not a lot. I was mostly just reveling in how he felt. I did test the collection with some smaller circles. I also touched on lengthening and shortening. I think he came back to me better than he ever has. He is always happy to slow down, but he usually wants to fall on the forehand. Friday he came back and kept his hind-end underneath himself. Good pony. I played with trot a little more, but mostly I was just having a good time an encouraging him to reach into the contact. He happily did so I didn't work all that long. I asked for a lot and he stepped up to the plate. Last weekend I noticed that he's filling out again along his topline and his haunches. Friday I got to feel the results of him getting back into shape. I'm glad that I have a trainer that made me go back and start from scratch again. He couldn't physically hold himself up, so when I was asking him to he was getting (rightfully) pissy and tense. That added with the fact that I didn't trust him to go too forward for the last several months at our old barn made for a really sticky Mort. Now I feel like we're heading back to a place that is even better than where we were before. I think his connection is more true and I know that I'm more aware of my seat and legs. After our clinic this weekend, I'll try to put another lesson in the books with my regular person and get some new homework. I'm excited to see what she thinks of our progress and to see what she thinks our next steps should be. Mort got Saturday off because of my laziness, but I did ride him Sunday. I planned on keeping it easy both mentally and physically since he was such a champ on Friday. Sometimes keeping things simple is hard for me because I tend to want to pick and fix and drill, but I was good and we never got above a training level frame. I did a lot of loose rein trot and just played a bit with him working into a low and steady contact. We didn't canter and I only barely touched on lateral work at the walk. He got a quick grooming and tossed back outside to eat grass in the sun.