Cob Jockey

Ahh!  We got it!

(And as a side note, this is why we didn't make a lot of progress this winter.  I need to be able to quietly figure stuff like this out on my own after my lessons, and I wasn't able to ride consistently enough to do that this winter.  That stops now, this week, now that it's going to be in the 50's and 60's!)

It's probably because he was wearing white boots, a Dressage saddle and a sparkly browband.  #lookingthepart

In our ride yesterday, I worked on exactly what we worked on in my lesson on Saturday.  It took a while, but I finally felt his back and poll lift the way she said it would, and I also felt him carry the movement himself like she said he would.  It didn't last forever, but I felt how to get it and what it was supposed to feel like.  It's much easier to the right than the left.

Foam!  Also notice the lack of goat beard.  Phew, finally got around to that.

Funnily enough, I didn't really "get" either alignment or the right tempo until I asked for a halt too quietly, and he did the exercise at the right tempo and in the right bend (and didn't halt.)  That's how much quieter my seat needed to be in order for him to go the right speed.

"I bring the Dressage skillz, you bring treats, yes?"

I had to really focus on keeping the tempo in my core, which I forgot often, and I also had to keep my outside leg back pretty far to keep the squirrely hind quarters in check.  It feels REALLY far back for my leg which is used to the jump saddle and bareback more than the Dressage saddle.

Training braids actually look really cool from 20 feet above him.

I know we got it, though, because when he was doing it absolutely perfectly, I asked for a halt, and it was a perfectly square halt.  More square than that horse has ever gotten in our 3 year relationship.  And his back went up into the halt instead of down.  I am able to feel so much when you slow it down that far.

I like this new program!

It was almost 50 yesterday, so he got his braids redone and his bridle path, ears, and goat beard clipped.  As soon as it is above 50, the mane pulling will begin.  That's going to be a long, multiple day process.