This pony... he is the best

 I had my first lesson back after all the troubles of Jan and let me tell you.  This pony may not like not snuggle, but he is worth his weight in gold.  The weather has been miserable; I have ben miserable, and the work we have done shows this. I have ridden once for real in the last 5 weeks. 

I will admit I cried a bit while tacking up - not for any one reason, just a lot of feelings.  Then I cried again because all the jumps looked huge even though I knew they were not. God bless this pony.  We wandered around the ring on a loose rein until I had my poop together.

Louis survived being left all alone.

The work we did was a bit simple. We started just trotting over poles and really focusing on creating lift and swing.  Uno is naturally built down hill and when we do not work consistently his go to is to curl and rush.  It took some time for us to get that right.  Then I showed my trainer what I have been working on in the walk.  Basically we have been working in hand and under saddle at the beginnings of walk pirouette. 

He looked so sleepy, but he was a KEEN BEAN!

My trainer tweaked a few things about this work for us that made and immediate huge difference. First I need to get a consistent and SOFT inside bend.  Then ask for haunches in on a 10/15 m circle.  When that is all soft and there, I move the shoulders around the the inside hind.

Once I got the timing and feel down we were getting really nice steps for about a quarter of a circle.  

Then the canter.  Let me say this dude was LIT!!  He wanted to dirt-bike around and zoom.  I was inclined to grip and hold.  That doesn't work for this horse. If you hold he will curl and run.  I had to work on half halting then LETTING GO!  We got a bit of good work, then went to pop some jumps.  

He knows he is good!

My plan was only to jump a cross rail, but of course Trainer inspires confidence and I had her drop one side of a fence that made me cry earlier.  We trotted it no issues.  She raised it. We trotted it no issues and ended for the day.

This pony is so amazing.  He makes my heart happy.