When you give your horse 8 months off.
- Hair grows.
- Pot bellies form.
- Grey turns into brown from dirt.
- Attitudes change from “Oh hi, Mom!” to “You don’t know anything, mother, get off my back!”
- Sitting trot turns into crazy collected canter with a squeal every time I half halt.
- Bouncing on the spot is back in fashion.
- Leaning on the bit is cool too.
Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do. Tonight, after lunging and getting his attention semi-focused on me, I spent quite awhile doing trot figure eights. When he didn’t lighten up on my hands, I switched to walking, halt transitions and then bending circles and counter bending until he was a little bit more relaxed. Then I attempted sitting trot, but soon discovered that he no longer knows what it is- and spent a good half an hour trying to re-teach that skill, to not much avail. So back to lateral work at a walk, and then posting trot. It’s a good thing I’m patient. And I love my pony.
