Easter

This was a normal barn day because I needed the day with two days with Dan and Mary arriving Thursday.

Keystone: I am very excited to see that he has gain weight and conditioning and looks really different than 3 weeks ago. He is happier and more alive. I keep learning things about him. He is confident in a lot of ways and LBI but quickly RBE with new learning. He has made great strides with confidence over the carrot stick and savvy string. We have completed the level 1 On Line tasks with ??level 2 quality. He has issues with intensity: he gets very reactive at anything over a phase 2 which affects learning. He gets it and it improves each time lots of licking and chewing but he doesn't really get that this is a learning game and that he can seek and truly understand the good deal. Strange things scare him such as spray bottle. He is enjoying my mosing with him coming in from pasture and not hurrying him or demanding that he stick to ME. We are now up to 5 laps of trot and 3 of canter and he is doing well with it--not a big deal at all. With 5 days of that we will consider the conditioning month over and begin "just riding." Before his canter was to die for--the bareback on the beach type of canter--at present Try's canter is easier to ride. He seems to need my weight really forward for good impulsion in both trot and canter.

Try: I am concerned that she is not liking the contact/vertical flexion--the expression on her face is not relaxed and happy. But I LOVE what I am learning about improving my riding. My relaxation bringing a big relaxed, tracking up trot is just the best. I am seeing improvement at liberty in distance that we are communicating. A focus has been filling her bucket with positives. Trail ride soon would be great.