3 Days Time

So this video was from 3 days ago, but in those 3 days, I've been able to ride Yankee everyday and had quite some up and downs! Wednesday I had the day off so I took a good while to school some dressage and take some videos. Unfortunately I was a little hasty and took the videos in the beginning of our ride when he was still his fresh, so they weren't very good and he wasn't as relaxed as later in the ride. We were working on flying changes and side passes at the trot again, which went ok, just not solid yet. he gets the idea, but gets a little tense. The video above is just some trot and canter work, but its some pretttty good schooling gaits.

As usual I've been schooling with balance and relaxation for myself and it really seems to be transmitting to him when we school seriously. With Yankee, a strong outside rein with a strong outside leg and soft inside leg just behind the girth while half halting brings him together like Totilas :) So Wednesday, ok day.

Thursday I didn't want to do too much since we had been schooling really hard core so I hopped on bareback with the intent to go for a loooong RELAXING trail ride. Raquel was in the arena working Actress (Cheryl's Grand Prix [retired] broodmare that she is leasing) so I joined her to watch a bit. Actress is, the shit! I watched her do some lengthenings and was amazed. I told Yankee to watch the master and to learn by example...I'm pretty sure he scoffed at my attempt to show him what a real dressage horse looked like because he purposely looked away, lol. After watching Actress, I took Yanks out on the trail behind the jump course and he was....AWFUL. I cannot even explain to you how terrible! It's like he was trying to kill me! I've ridden him MANY times bareback, even when he was 4, and he had never been this horrid. His main arsenal was bucks but he didn't leave out shying at pointless nothings or rearing like pegasus. The bucks were espechially fierce-at one point in a bucking fit of his I literally was hanging on for dear life by his mane. My bum came off his back a good 6 inches and of course when I slammed back on his back he bucked even harder. It was a viscous cycle. Thursday, not so good.

Which brings me to today. On the flip side, he was an angel today. I began with long lining which transformed into asking for passage steps...which he did..WITH GUSTO! As with the flying changes, the steps happened by accident almost. I have been working with him on the flat (and not moving) with the steps of passage, the very basics-touch the whip to a leg, he lifts, and I reward. While trotting on the long lines today I told him to whoa and tapped his back legs and BAM, he collected up, sat down and did two steps of passage. I was stunned! So I asked again and got four steps! Its still in the baby stages and I don't think I will go too far with this since I will never have to do passage, but its still cool to know! After that I hopped on to ask for some simple stuff since we spent about 20 min on the long line extremely collected. Did a few side passes brilliantly and one flying change. Overall, friday good :)