Letting Go

So... I've been micromanaging my horse and now he doesn't know how to deal on his own. At least that is the general gist of the lessons last week. Also, GET OFF HIS BACK. Even prior to EM doing several training rides on BB, I had contemplated that we have, in general, a much easier time out XC jumping SOLID fences of the same size that we have been fumbling over or in front of in the ring. I had figured it was because there is less time for me to screw with him... JT taught me the general rhythm of up off the back, gallop (canter quickly at novice LOL), eight strides out shoulders come back, seven strides out, lightly sit, six strides out if the balance isn't up and we're not on a slightly shorter stride, then half halt with leg and hand, then wait for the fence. Cool. Rinse and repeat is about all you do at novice. Combinations are barely related at this level. 

EM said to me, when I related this again after discovered that he much prefers me out of the tack, that she felt like we didn't talk enough about the different paces in stadium, but that same kinda feel should be there. 

On Monday, EM started the ride. She moved him through the paces I had watched several times over the Wednesday through Friday training rides. Walk-halt transitions controlling where each foot lands, no falling to pieces and dropping his back and splaying legs. Then move on to walk-trot. The neck stays long and stretchy during the transition. Then trot-canter, moving legs forward into the canter. The canter has to be flowing forward with a long, soft neck and back before it can be collected a little bit a la rounding up a ball of energy not shortening it back. 

Then I hopped on and we played with those concepts a bit. It took a lot of focus to get the halts right. Interestingly the method was almost the exact opposite feel of the method that JV had me working on. His approach was to focus on promptness. Which had (mostly) created square halts, an improvement on our wiggle into the halt practice we'd had prior. But had also led to him saying I should put a flash on the bridle because he was hollow with his head up and mouth wide open as he fought the bit. He clarified that he did not mean to strap his mouth shut AT ALL, just prevent the WIDE open gaping that was happening. EM's method 

I struggled a little bit with *what* exactly to do on the way to the cavaletti if I wasn't managing every stride. Bring the pace up through the corner, then sit quietly with leg on, hand present, let him sort it out. But he has to stay straight. That is also my job. But let him fall through his left shoulder and then correct it, don't guard against it happening in the first place. 

You can see the marked difference between the first and second course when I got up off his back more. We quit on the second course. 

On Tuesday I started him out. I expressed that I was worried that the warm up, where I was being insistent on him lifting and softly swinging from the get go, was going to lead to him being dead to the leg again. EM said no, he's working differently and correctly, he needs this much support right now. I do feel like with my non pro timing of aids that I need to be cautious that every leg aid still gets a response. Even though we're prioritizing relaxation and long neck over forward energy to begin with, that doesn't mean the impulsion we've developed with JV, that way of him carrying himself forwards without me having to ask every step, can go by the wayside. 

We jumped just two courses on Tuesday again, EM said that she was trying to emphasize to him that although this way of working potentially *felt* harder, it was actually shorter and sweeter when he came out and did his job. The courses felt great, he just flowed around and I didn't have to panic about distances. 

We'll keep playing with this concept during two training rides/lessons in the upcoming week.