More use of the Liverpool

I was trying to get medium trot on Jazz today and I eventually got fed up with him either cantering or trying to run through my hands. So I went and put Radar's Liverpool on him and - waves magic wand - he got some great lengthening without even trying to canter and completely unable to lean on the bit (the rollers) or pull through it (the leverage). I plan on using it again until he realises that he really can power into the trot without running. I schooled him yesterday too and he is doing fantastic, jump-through, flying changes now, almost always totally correct. I would work on tempis but I think it's more important right now to get medium trot established and half pass improved.

I've schooled Ace two days in a row too and I can't say he's been particularly co-operative either day. He is quite tense and will not do a relaxed walk at all at the moment. As a result of the poor walk, his walk trot transitions are back at me instead of forward. I have, though, managed to cure the wrong canter strike off and today he did plenty of correct trot canter transitions. He's testing whether I am serious at the  moment, I think, and when I tell him that I am, he does what I want, though occasionally it's with pretty bad grace!  He also seems either to ignore my leg or completely overreact to it, which is something that we are also working through.  Just teenage boy stuff I think, nothing serious, but I would love the seeking, bungie-strap contact that he used to have back again soon!

C.