Cob Jockey

I've now been riding Disco about a month, although it really hasn't been that many rides thanks to the stretch of truly awful weather we had in there. 

First time I've ridden him with the doors open. This would have sent Connor into a skittering tailspin, but Disco just looked and then carried on with his life.

It's amazing, even still, how quickly things have started to change. 

His transitions are getting prompter.

His steering is getting more subtle.

He's starting to carry me forward more.

Forwarddddddddd

He retains things between rides so easily. After the first time we did two repetitions of a single step of TOF with BDT, every other time I've checked in on that skill he was like "YES MA'AM I KNOW THIS ONE HAPPY TO OBLIGE." 

I even - accidentally, at first - asked for a 180 degree TOF last night for the first time and he just...did it. I moved my boot back without thinking about it while he was stopped, and he took a step. I then asked again, intentionally this time, so he knew he gave me the right answer to my leg moving in that way.

Obviously not perfect but for the first time he's strung more than a step together? What a good boy.

It's such a rush for me every time I realize he's paying attention to my body that closely, especially my seat - whether that's controlling the cadence of the posting trot or playing with down transitions that happen on seat alone. Both because he's starting to understand that, and because somehow, against all odds, I actually have the body control to make that aid make sense to him.

He looks like SUCH a geeky baby to me right now.

The biggest change - I have started riding him when there's no one else at the barn. It's not ideal, of course, it never is, but with as few people as we have in our barn, I was finding myself going too long between rides if I only ever rode when someone else was there. Consistency is so important at his age, even when we're only riding a few days a week. 

And I really shouldn't get complacent, but I trust him so much already. More than Connor in a lot of situations.

Cooling out on the buckle

The other big change - I've started lunging him before I get on. Not for the usual reason (to let him get some sillies out), but for the opposite - to make #slugmode easier to manage! If I lunge him, I know he's warmed up and thinking "forward" when I get on, so I can skip #slugmode and immediately start using the trot to motivate the walk, if I need to. It has helped a lot.

Haven't cantered under saddle yet (not for lack of trying). He needs to build some strength and possibly feel like he's in a larger space before he has the confidence to pick it up with a rider.

I'm having so much fun with him already. Hard to believe he's not even four yet!