A Year of Goals

Training area	Dec. 2009	Achieved Oct. 2010	Goal Nov. 2010	Achieved	Goal Jan. 2011
Contact (accepting contact with the bit)	0	5.5	6	6	6.5
Bending	0	5.5	6	6	6.5
Working trot	0	6.8*	7	6.5	7
Canter: Transition Carry Steer	0	6 up, 5 down 6 6	7 7 7	6 / 5 6.5 6	7/6 7 7
Circles	1.5	6	7	6	7
Free walk	3	7	7	7	7
Halt	0	5	6	5.5**	6
Half halt	0	3	4	4.5	5
Straight on center line	0	6.5	7	6.5	7
Rhythm W T C	1	6* 6* 6*	7 7 7	7 6 6.5	7 7 7
Precise transitions	0	5	6	5.5	6
Leg Yield	-	3	4	3	4
Should in	-	3.5	4	4.5	5
Me
Canter position		6	7	6.5	7
Relaxation		5.5	6	6	7
Sitting trot (Rogo)		3	5	5 ***	6

Notes:

• * working trot and rhythm went down because we added in a lot of bending and he's still getting used to it
  
• **We're changing this to halting directly from the trot
  
• ***Didn't work on it as I needed to work on getting his trot forward again, and getting him more round
  
• I discovered I wasn't using my left weight aid so this is a challenge
  
• I started longe lessons again this month and really felt a difference in my leg position (got them back more where they should be, and longer)

This month marks a year since we moved the horses to Cheryl’s for the winter and I brought Rogo back to work after a three month lay off. This is when I started focusing on his training for the first time. He’d been started under saddle previously, but had only walked and trotted on a fairly long rein and hadn’t worked steadily. He wouldn’t even trot a year ago and I was just getting back on my feet from an injury, so we had challenges! It’s been a fun year. With Cheryl I’ve kept scores of the training areas and thought I’d compare a year ago and now.

Doug and I had lesson today, Doug on the longe with his horse Savanah. They did great, although her canter has gotten flat. It could be because she recently had her shoes pulled for the winter and her feet are a little sore, or maybe she needs to get more muscles built up in her hind quarters as per last post. Anyway, Doug and I both find the longe lessons incredible for helping our position and seat.

Rogo and I had a good lesson. He trotted nicely and did lots of good bending and kept the contact fairly well. We did bending and counter bending on the long sides in a nice big trot and he did really well with this, holding both bends nicely the length of the long side. He softened and took a lovely contact as we did this.

I found that I couldn't ride the canter as well as I wanted to today, so we had a couple of good canters but I suggested stopping becuase I didn't feel I was holding up my end of the deal. Cheryl said he'd probably be a horse who would carry me through when I'm tired, as she could see I wasn't doing well, but he covered for me. What a good boy!

Our leg yield was abysmal. I take full responsibility because he can obviously learn things and thus I'm not teaching this as I should. I feel safe in saying this as I find the aid awkward. The only other thing I've found as difficult is learning to feel when the hind legs are on the ground. I can do that now, so that should help me time the leg yield, but it seems I work too hard at it instead of just going in a nice rhythm. Rogo is confused. Sometimes he crosses and sometimes he doesn't. Today Cheryl got me to do it from a halt, so he'd get a step or two.

He's getting the shoulder in much better than leg yield and sometimes / often does it like a pro (other times he doesn't quite get the aid quickly and thinks I want a turn). I started teaching this some time after leg yield.

It was a beautiful day and we went to Cravings Cafe for lunch after our lessons- home made mac and cheese - what could be better?