From Back on Track to Off the Track

If I had written this post yesterday like I had intended, I would have had lovely things to say about bringing Walker back into work after our vacation, and him picking up where we left off on moving forward and blah blah blah.

But this is today.  And today we did not have a good ride.

That horse is going to be the death of me.  I swear.

I started working him going forward as I always do.  We've got this part down.  Really.  We do.  I have taken to carrying a dressage whip to reinforce my point.  He doesn't always have a great big surge of energy when I apply leg, but the gentle squeeze does get me forward momentum.

But we're still getting nowhere in the "on the bit" quest.  I'm starting to think that it was not meant to be.  I think that if I spent half as much energy letting Walker be a Western pony as I do trying to get him to go English, we'd be in the ribbons by now.  Just rollin' in a bed of satin.

But no.  I want to play dressage queen.  And dream about extended trots.  I don't even want to piaffe and pirourette and make my horse dance like a ballerina.  I just want to get him on the goddamn bit.

Instead he practically lives behind the bit.  I've tried it all.  I've tried transitions.  Nope.  He can do those behind the bit.  I've tried lateral work and circles.  He can do those behind the bit too.  I've even encouraged him to go above the bit, should he so desire.  Nope.  Not havin' it.

I may not be the most consistent rider.  I will admit that my hands are not that soft.  I'm not the most effective with my seat.  But the horse is forward, people.  I try to be gentle.  And horse still not on the bit.

There is a part of me that is starting to wonder if I'm getting him on the bit, thinking that he's not on the bit, and then pushing the issue until he gets behind the bit.  I try to ask people but the only response I ever get is "he's in a frame" or "he's ahead of the vertical" or "yes", neither of which is helpful to my quest.  I do not have time to teach my onlookers the difference.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.  Maybe his version of "on the bit" just feels different than other horses I've ridden because of his background.  Maybe his idea of seeking contact is just lighter because he comes from a background where he was taught to collect on a loose rein.

Maybe I'm just incompetent or crazy.  Probably one of those.