Bad Timing

I mentioned in one of my last posts that there's a dog show going on at the barn this weekend. Well, that turned out to be an unfortunate and unexpected event.

Unexpected because I literally didn't find out about it until a few days before and unfortunate because my mother was coming to visit and I planned to finally get videos of my rides. Now who knows when she'll be back again :(

In spite of the lack of proof, I really feel like we're improving. I mean, improvement is a relative term after all. 

Some of the old Western-ey tricks are helping, including adopting a WP hand position when he goes behind the bit - inside rein high, outside rein low and back. We can't do it forever but it is a good way of communicating with him in a language he understands.

I've also found that a balancing half halt/downward transition of a kind helps with him going behind the bit. He can effectively do upward transitions with his head curled, but he hasn't figured out how to do downward ones in that position. I can usually sneak attack him and get his head up, and then quickly push forward again to get on the bit.

As usual, I get the best results in the first 15-20 minutes of our ride and then he becomes hot and bothered. That's when he starts curling the worst and when I have to give in a little.the whole process really works him up mentally and he really benefits from a relaxed trot/canter on a loose rein.

My next plan of attack is lateral movements.