A Plan

I had the whole long weekend to think about that ride on Saturday. How much progress he made with her in three rides now that she's actually improving things on him and not just fixing broken things. What she said about installing changes vs my show season. I also had a couple days to process her Sunday ride, which she sent me a video of.

She did the same TOH/10m (or smaller) canter in HI/walk/TOH exercise on Sunday that I did Saturday, only better. There were some moments in which you could REALLY see a canter pirouette canter starting to form.

And after a chat with JenJ about my show goals, I find myself making the same decision I did a year ago this month: to send Connor for full training later this fall again. Only this time, the goals are completely different. And I won't send him for quite as long.

She sends me crosstie pics <3

Last year my goals for fall full training were "give him a more educated understanding of the contact" and "fix the simple changes" and a secret hidden unspoken goal that maybe he'd ride a flying change once. Check, check and check.

This time, the goal is "install flying changes." Period. I know she'll work on more than just that over 2.5 months, but changes are the goal. I've watched enough people deal with the frustratingly low scores that come from bad changes/late changes/inconsistent changes to know that it's worth my money to have her get them solid for me. And clearly, she's effective with him!

Shame that board is in the way, but still, damn. She's such a trooper to be doing this in a way-too-small-for-her jump saddle too!

GP trainer says "it's perfect timing". It is, in a lot of ways. He's fit enough for them, he's 15 and still requires no maintenance even with the work getting much harder this year (knock on wood so hard!), and the building blocks needed are all there.

It's also perfect timing for baby Disco, who will be coming home around the time I send Connor off, so this will give me 2.5 months with him as my only horse at home.

Getting taller by the day!

 

 I can give him the time and attention he needs to get settled in properly, and I can also bring him with me sometimes on the weekends when I make the 4 hour round-trip drive to take a lesson on Connor. You know, just to spend time on the trailer, go somewhere new, and be bored in a different looking stall.

I think this plan might work!