So I have been diligently working Bugatti every day with the goal to have a supple, balanced, happy horse from beginning to end each ride. To her credit, she is an excellent student. Never says no, and never holds on to any tension in her body or her brain. I couldn't ask for a better temperament. Funny, I've ridden geldings and stallions almost all my life, and only had 4 mares in my training program, total. I have to admit, I find communicating with this horse, connecting with her, much more available than with any gelding or stallion I have ever had. I find myself asking her questions during training, ie"If I flex right, are you supple in your jaw?" or If I ask for a reinback from this medium canter, would it be available?" and it's like she knows what I am thinking. If the answer is ever "no", or "eh, probably not at the moment" I know that it's only because I have not paid enough attention in the past few seconds to the quality of the connection or the lightness of the reaction from my aids to ensure that anything is within one aid. It's never, with this filly, because she has blocked me out or she isn't trying her damndest to follow my lead.
2 days ago I had my working student, Chloe, up on her back so I could start to introduce Bug to half steps. She's almost 5 and it's a good time to introduce them a couple times a month, just lightly, just playfully, to get her educated in how to start to transfer weight to her hind legs and how to fold her joints and tilt her pelvis. Like any young horse, she wanted to swing her haunches in and get faster instead of sit and fold. but really all I am looking for in the first session is acceptance of the tap of the whip, for me to find out where the tap of the whip will yield the best reaction, and for her to pick up the leg of which I tap. That's it. no trot steps needed, no sitting required, and just an invitation to play the half step game.
She surprised me by reacting to the taps by creating a trot rhythm, and when corrected for being rooked (I had Chloe position her slightly shoulder-fore) did actually tilt her pelvis and sit for a step or two. Man, is she smart. She also learned sugar comes with in hand work. LOL.
so then she had yesterday off and today I rode her nice and forward for the warmup, really paying attention to her rhythm and acceptance of both reins and both legs.The majority of our training session today was me introducing her to transitions within gaits, while maintaining roundness, suppleness on both reins, and acceptance of the inside leg to outside rein connection. Going left she is very honest on my outside (right) rein connection, but going right she is still a touch crooked and tends to lean in. The suppleness of her ribs and base of the neck is imperative to her balance and connection, especially when teaching her half halts, like today. She learned to half halt from my outside rein and shift her balance back while maintaining lateral connection and suppleness, all in one day. Obviously the quality of those minute transitions (half halts) will get better with time and repetition, but for her to learn a half halt in one day is incredible.
What I want to avoid, here from the start, is her getting tight and bracing during transitions or changes in direction. I am trying to take the time to nurse it right now, so I don't have to fix it later.
I can feel there are many more gears within her gaits, and I want to make sure she's through, supple, and swinging happily through her body before I try to "improve" her paces. They'll be there, ready and available, if I take the time now.
She sometimes gives me moments of lightness, carriage and power that leave me in awe. I'm so very, very lucky to have this particular horse. She's going to be something.
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