More haste, less speed

Here comes Wolfie.  The video below shows the way Wolfie likes to get about the field.  That's quite a sedate pace for him.  The video function on my camera isn't great, so it's not really in focus, but it was a practice to see if I could upload a video.  And I did it!  My sister has kindly loaned me her video camera.  I really want to get some videos of me schooling Wolfie, to self critique and also to use as a comparison later on.  I just need to talk very nicely to my sister now to see if she will video us.

I'm glad to say that Wolfie has redeemed himself since his performance as a flying circus horse last week.  We've hacked and schooled a couple of times.  I worked him over poles and he was great.  Really stretching for them and using his back and being very careful.  I'm thinking more and more about starting to jump him.  I think he would enjoy it and it would also be a break from schooling and flatwork over winter.  Firstly though, I need to get a new body protector.  Can't afford not to be sensible and if all else fails I can always wear it on windy days.

I schooled today.  Since we got the saddle and Wolfie has been back in work consistently, although I have been schooling a little more (maybe once a week now), I have only really been working in walk and trot.  I canter in the fields, but the school we have is so small when he is still unbalanced.  Previously he has struggled with the right canter lead.  Today, however I cantered on the left rein, just once.  I was going to leave it at that, but then decided to try the right rein.  He bounced into canter on the correct right lead and actually felt quite balanced (more balanced than he actually did on the left rein).  The difference, I actually rode the transition properly, riding deep into the corner and set him up for it.  I was so pleased with him.  As usual, as soon as we started thinking about canter and canter transitions, the trot work improved.   If he makes mistakes, they are green mistakes. I get frustrated at myself when I know that things are down to rider error and me not being effective.  Things are starting to come together, it's very rough around the edges and not entirely consistent, but with more schooling over winter, I think he will come on leaps and bounds.  He still needs to learn to relax more and soften his jaw, but that will come.