Because of this, we've started to scratch the surface of moving back toward Second level! In our last lesson, we found a hole in the spinal integrity as he headed into canter, so I figured that I'd challenge him with some counter canter.
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| For some reason I only clipped from left lead canter, it was due to a time constraint, his right lead is better |
It was really interesting. I went right first, so his harder lead but his easier direction, and it felt really weak. Like I could not ride it without feeling like I had to chase him a bit. That's fine, but nowhere near where I want it to be.
The other direction though, well, I've never ridden a better counter canter. It felt unbelievably rideable, super uphill, and just downright easy for him! So that was fascinating. His left lead has always been the weaker one, but this is definitely a little more than usual. But I figure I'll give him a month or two of schooling some counter canter a couple days a week before I start using it as any sort of a diagnostic tool. He could also just be rather uncoordinated.
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| I love trail rides on this horse |
Beyond that, we also looked at some lengthened and shortened trot. TC has always had a lot of "pushing" power, but most of that power was actually just pulling power with his hind legs out behind him. We've been working hard on the carrying power, engaging his hind legs and lightening the forehand. But I also do need to access the *actual* pushing power rather than him always defaulting to pulling.
I figure the best way to do this is to put him in his place of carrying, then ask him for a bigger gait, then put him back in his carrying place. It's a lot easier to go back to carrying if you don't completely change from rear wheel drive to front wheel drive.
This was *very* hard for... me. I want to feel a big surge heading into a lengthening and that surge is only available by him pulling right now. So it was good for me to have to maintain a semblance of carrying in the lengthened trot.
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| Best gray horse |
But then that lead to some hovering on his part. Another thing that my body automatically rewards because it feels like passage. A hovering trot does not a passage make. A passage has both carrying and pushing power. The hovering is created by him just pulling himself with his neck and front feet and bouncing the hind legs along to create what feels like more suspension but what is actually a large heap of garbage. But like most people, it feels like passage so therefore I get a stupid grin on my face like wheee he's so bouncy and fancy.
I've been there before though, so I've been working to let him know thank you, but I will not be requiring childlike joy from a hovering trot. I will ask you for more suspension later when you have the strength to do it properly. He's fine with that, just wanted to offer a shitty passage-like trot if I would like to have it.
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| We have five baby cows by the way! More in another post hopefully |
All in all, it feels REALLY good to not have the harder work lead to him completely dropping through his thoracic sling and looking terrible again. His body is looking pretty good, not the way I want it to, but we're also struggling with how much food they're getting in pasture, so I think he was being a little underfed. He's getting more calories now so hopefully that helps us out in the topline department.
He still looks way better than he did before, but now I've gotten greedy. My main goal though is for him to continue looking better. I don't mind if it takes a little while, but if he starts actually LOSING topline, that's when I need to stop and reevaluate. We aren't there yet, but I think this level of work and having enough to maintain weight but maybe not put on muscle (maybe? it's so hard to know when they're on pasture) can explain why he might be plateauing the tiniest bit.
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