Sorting Our Sorts

Postponed one day by a sad pony boob, Butterball had a training ride Thursday morning. 

One day post-rabies vaccine, warm, painful, almost too sad for him to eat. Made much better by banamine and a walk hack. 

Thursday morning, much better

The message from the training ride was that things were almost there. There were several things JT was very serious about with him: 

• Leg means LIFT and softly move your barrel over
• Half halts mean LIFT your sternum UP and engage your butt 
• You SHALL NOT hollow and come above the bit in the canter transition

Then, using those principles, she jumped him around. And ended up laughing because he is truly the most fun to jump. I didn't think I was getting on him, but she jumped one course with the fences quite small and then had us pop them up to a generous novice height, jumped around, and had me get on. 

The difference the training ride made was INCREDIBLE. Ben felt better after training rides, but Butterball felt 1000% better. We got a lovely canter transition and then jumped around a short course. I was not half-halting enough on the way in and kept letting him get just a bit deep to the fences. JT told me I MUST half-halt with seriousness because it wasn't fair to keep making him make that much of an effort from under the jump. So then we did. Watching the video, the second two fences in the last line I still didn't half halt quite enough, but we're getting there. I did miss to the first jump in the last line, but he jumped from the long spot quite athletically. Shocking what can happen with effective half-halting. Good boy!! 

BOING! 

With those BIG items finessed just a LITTLE bit, this is the pony that feels like he will go out and do training and beyond some day. JT has him through the weekend and will do another training ride on Sunday.