A bit of sideways

After a week off between hot weather and bashing his leg on something, I carefully rode Henry on Tuesday in the paddock thinking it would be a better surface for his leg than the rock hard clay in the bush. He was very happy to be getting ready for a ride, but was way too special during the ride. There were lots of flies and each one caused him a drama. He just couldn't deal with it. 

Thankfully his leg was fine right after and the next day, so he got another ride which was a lot more normal with far fewer flies (and as much fly spray as possible!). I had a look at the forecast for the next week, trying to work out when best to have a lesson. Next week is going to be sitting around the 39C mark, too hot to ride so I booked in a flat lesson for Saturday morning.

Henry came out fresh, mostly because it was so windy. It was a good fresh though, the type you can channel the energy not the feral type. I warmed him up while Bec watched, encouraging me to get him to stretch down a bit more. She then had me let him stretch, then collect him up, keeping him on the aides and supple and relaxed. He was slightly resistant but relaxed quickly and was really responsive and easy to change his frame. We did the same in canter. On the right rein I have been holding a bit too much, so I need to be conscious of giving with it a bit more. 

I rode some wiggly lines up the long sides to help with suppling Henry, then changed to leg yielding off and back to the track with him in a longer frame. This got him so on the aides, me using my body better and I was allowing with my hands a lot more. He was feeling brilliant and listening to nice light aides, and he got the hang of stretching and yielding at the same time quite quickly.  

The main exercise for the lesson was a roughly 15m box with a cone in each corner and a pole on each side. To start we did a turn on the forehand around each cone, before adding in shoulder in on the side of the box. It was easy to the left and  he was soft and supple throughout the exercise. I got a good angle most times and he found it easy. It was good for me to feel how my body was influencing him and allow the flow more. The right was a lot harder, which was to be expected as Henry is weaker on the right rein. I also had more trouble sitting on my right seat bone. We got a few good repetitions before having a trot and repeating the exercise doing Travers instead.

This time the right was easier for Henry and I felt like it was the first time Travers has really clicked for him. He found it quite easy and maintained a good frame and flexion in the correct direction. On the left rein he really struggled though he tried so hard. We had a few good goes and had just about got it when he felt like he just couldn't any more so I walked him forward and reset to ask again. Then we had two great repetitions, and it clicked a bit more for him. He does find loading that right hind hard work, it's just a liiiitle bit slack.

To finish we cantered around the box, the spiralled to ride inside the cones and outside the poles, then in again to inside the poles. It was easy to the left but harder to the right between him being a bit weaker and me having a grabby hand. It was good for me to use my outside aides to turn and guide him while allowing for him to turn and not holing with the inside rein. We had another good stretch at the canter before we were done.

It was such a good lesson, Henry was so responsive and willing the whole time. We still get a bit of resistance but he softened quickly and his posture is so much better. The main exercise we did was great for me to do on our own as I could really feel when things weren't quite right and I knew what I had to fix to make it better. The work I have been doing getting him off my leg really helped as he was forward and way easier to move around too. 

Bec also said Henry is looking really good al the moment, he has bulked up quite a bit which is what I have been feeling. I think the next step will be to get the saddle fitters out (because I have one for each of my saddles, obviously) because they aren't quite as good at they could be.