OUR FIRST CONTROLLED CANTER!!!

I really need to bring someone along when I ride. If not for safety, at least to be able to snap some good photos of us while we're working! How else am I supposed to go back and visually review? Oh well, here are a few shots from aboard Ivan :)

He didn't quite know what to make of the digital camera noises...



He kind of quivered a bit, but got over that quickly :)




Such a good man! That's a very nice lateral flex.




And release...





And another very nice lateral flex :) He loves doing these because he knows I'm happy when he does it.

 

As you can tell from those headshots, we were out riding in the pasture. So we did a lot of walking, a bit of trotting, a lot of bending to the inside and changing direction. Transitions, practicing collection and going on the bit, etc. And then.... drumroll please... we CANTERED! Our very first, controlled, not-running-flat-out-getting-away-from-me-after-grabbing-the-bit, not-pushing-through-the-bit, relaxed, working CANTER! I was thrilled to pieces! We tracked right and had a nice canter for a few circles, then we transitioned slowly back down to a trot followed by a collected walk :) I was SOOOOOOOOOO proud of him! And the icing on the cake? He managed to stop completely with JUST MY SEAT more than once! As in just stiffening my seat, NO HANDS!

Today was a good day :)