Jazz and Ace were both good today in the barn. The wind was so high I could not ride outside, the tail end of the latest hurricane in the US, apparently. Thanks guys!
Jazz is not hopping or resistant in the lateral work, and it became obvious that our problem with left half pass was very much related to him dropping the contact on the outside rein as he goes into the movement. The solution today was to insist that he holds shoulder-in first, and then move it out from the track. We get a couple of good half pass strides before we run out of space, but it's a good start. He felt "spongy" in the contact today, in a very good way, like he has never felt before. Normally he has to be very light on the contact or he sets, but today he was definitely holding a firm but giving contact on the bit. Wow, imagine that, if we could ever dream of improving Jazz's ghastly mouth after five years!
Ace did a really nice walk session, after having to be persuaded that we were not going to trot and canter just because he felt in high spirits :-) He tried it on a bit at first, dawdling along and then over-reacting when asked to move on a bit, as an excuse to trot or canter. I corrected him firmly but fairly, and he soon knuckled down to some really nice walk circles and changes of rein in a lovely balance and rythmn.
Radar will have a good workout tomorrow, in the Liverpool bit! And Jazz has a Medium 61 (boring test!) on Wednesday in front of our "favourite" judge!
C
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