Shifting Back

The only major downside about the rain is not being able to schedule lessons more than like four days in advance. I could easily haul out, but I have given up taking lessons in person right now so hauling out would mean invading someone else's arena with my Pivo and hoping the Pivo doesn't follow them around instead of me. 

I love how lifted he is here

Luckily, the bodyworker clinician had time kind of last minute on Monday morning to work with TC and I! This was our first remote session and it came at a great time. TC has been feeling really good but I don't really know where to go next. 

The lesson was fabulous! 

For the last eight weeks since auditing the first clinic, our work hasn't changed much. The main goal has been to gain influence over the lateral balance and build strength in his pectorals and thoracic sling. 

She said he looked really good in that work! I was so happy to hear that, it just feels the same because of how slow the progression has been. But it has actually gotten better. 

This is the softest I've ever seen him go

Our next task is to work on gaining more influence over the longitudinal balance. The lateral balance has been a relatively easy thing for me to feel, but the longitudinal balance has always been tougher on him. 

She said that his center of gravity is pretty permanently shifted forward. He carries his "soul" way out in front of him in his poll. It was interesting that she mentioned that location because I feel like there's a lot of rigidity left just behind his poll even when he's loose and supple everywhere else. 

As we worked through her series of exercises, I started seeing that part of his neck relax and start to twitch a bit. He felt even better in the contact, which I didn't realize was possible. 

He looks so delicate here

We also got permission to canter! I've cantered him a few times but haven't really worked on it. She gave us a really simple exercise, to basically put him in canter until he starts to lose balance, then bring him back to trot and help him regain the balance first laterally and then longitudinally. I realized that the issues I'd been having (him basically wanting to run off and buck OR stopping immediately) were quite possibly due to longitudinal balance and/or energy. If he runs off, he's got his balance too far forward, if he stops, he doesn't have enough energy. 

I told her that we really struggle with having those things at the same time, either he has enough energy but he's on the forehand, or he's balanced but I can't get him in front of my leg. She gave me some really great stuff to work on for that and by the end he felt so soft and supple, yet powerfully uphill. 

Such a good boy

Finally, we briefly chatted about the future task I have at hand. I really need to address his emotional regulation when he is in a state of "readiness" or feeling coiled. He gets fairly explosive and my nerves got shot at the end of last week when he almost launched me from VERY high up in the air. I have my new helmet coming, but I don't ride in spurs anymore (which I am able to anchor myself with if he really launches) and I don't have my big blocked saddle anymore. So I don't really want to deal with the launchy feeling. 

She recommended a trainer who I've met before and actually who I had wanted to work with anyway. This trainer follows the bodyworker's way of doing things, so there will be a lot of overlap and the trainer uses clicker training too! So when this rain storm is over, I'll be reaching out to see if I can get some help with both improving my clicker training and working on his emotional regulation as he learns to shift his weight back. 

Ahh I love him so much

I'm still just so over the moon with this stuff. He feels SO good and now, especially after this lesson, I can see the path forward and it's so exciting. Can't wait to continue down this pathway!