Pieces Come Together

18 September 2011 6 Comments

Now that Ro and I are back in more consistent work, things are starting to come together again.

I don’t look quite so much like a drunk monkey on her back.

She’s no longer trotting around like she’s on crack.

We’re working on the canter now.

For a couple rides, we’ve been spiraling in on a circle at the trot, leg yielding out, and cantering when we hit the rail. Our canter transitions are fuzzy—my aids are not clear enough, and she gets “canter” but not necessarily “on this lead.” We’re working on both of these things, and exercises on a circle help set both of us up for success.

Ro is smart—she gets patterns.

So yesterday, when she was doing fabulously at the trot, I decided we’d do some leg yielding on a straight line, intending to really work on the leg yield itself.

As we leg yielded back to the rail, I could feel her preparing for the canter. Sometimes, there is that moment where you know the horse is just waiting, and that if you ask right now you are going to get something special. I asked.

She jumped up into a powerful, uphill, balanced canter. It was easily the best transition we have ever had. It was one of the best transitions I’ve ever ridden. Simply amazing. Ro is going to have some fabulous transitions when she gets strong enough to do this consistently.

My pony makes me happy. That is all.

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