Clear Aids

How cute are these guys?

Practice makes perfect.  I think I say this a lot when it comes to my riding.  Right now we’re practicing obedient transitions.  We’ve been working the 10-10-10 exercise ALL WEEK.  It’s getting better. The canter downward is still tough.  I get a few soft, lovely transitions each ride though, however I am still have to get after him to LISTEN TO ME more than I’m getting the actual listening.

Last night I felt like maybe I was being unclear.  Maybe my half halt aid and my downward aids were too similar.  I played with my half halt aid as outside rein only with a squeeze of my inner thighs and my downward aid as closing up everything gently.  That seemed to work better.  He gets annoyed with the repetition, I feel bad making him drill this stuff, but until it’s correct the majority of the time I feel like he needs to keep practicing.  Getting a soft downward is not asking too much I feel like.  He’s a smart and capable horse.  He just has major opinions about doing what he’s told when he’s told.   He loves cantering, he sees no reason to stop cantering once he starts.  He doesn’t get quick or naughty, he just doesn’t want to go back to trot until he feels like it, which is usually about 10 strides after I ask for it. 

I think I’m expecting too much of a change in too short of a time.  Today he’ll get the day off to think about things, he’s had 4 hard days in a row.  Tomorrow I’ll start him on the lunge in side reins to review the concept and then hop on and keep the conversation going.  It’s boring honestly, but it feels so good when he gets it. 

A wise horsewoman told me a good horse takes years to make…apparently in this case, she’s right!!  And I need to {still} be more patient with the process of installing all the buttons correctly.