Pacha- july 08, 2009

I have been riding Pacha daily for about a week, instead of twice a week previously. It is very useful to get such an opportunity, because it allows a more thorough and intimate knowledge of the horse to a degree that I did not expect. We have worked indoor and outdoor. Walk and trot are now satisfactory, with good neck extensions and nose in the dust sessions, at steady pace and keeping quarters engagement. Lightness is there together with a more frank acceptance of the contact. This had been Pacha's issue in the past, with a tendency to go behind the hand with some of his riders. The main focus over months has been to stretch his back and unroll him; and we seem to be there at last. A correct extended trot was obtained outdoors without boiling up. I still find draw reins useful: mostly loose, just employed during a short instant with the little finger to invite a lowering of the neck at the beginning of a session. Small circles work is quite profitable, with haunches out and in, change of hands etc.. Shoulder-ins are now properly done at walk, with regular cadence, correct placer and relaxed jaws. Leg-yield with outside bend is understood, preparing for half-pass where work remains to be done. Both hands ok on two tracks exxercises, although natural bend confirms to be on the right. With all these encouraging achievements 'under our belts', I now concentrate on two issues:
-halts: still work need to be done to get a square, quiet, and lasting halt. Pacha no longer tries to move, but still may sway his quarters, and put one hind leg aside. I will work on halts from walk and trot performed frequently during the work.
-canter: Pacha's canter needs to become more steady, canter strike off needs to be smoother (not rushed into) and speed variations have to be taught - in particular he is still far away from small, collected canter. During these last days, I found that his canter strike off can be much improved if I unload his back by putting myself in half suspension over a few strides. I surmise that his back is not yet strong enough to give a strike off in calmness. I will then work on his canter by interspersing some time with suspension. I was really pleased to see that after some of this work, his back went up and sitting canter could be achieved with head low and very light contact on the mouth.
An exciting programme of work lays in front of us, boosted by the encouraging progress so far.