A good lesson

This morning was dry and sunny - just like Spring. Liz came for a lesson starting at 10.00. We warmed up and practised walk and trot on both reins. I softened in the neck quite quickly but my jaw was set very firm and Dad had to work very hard in getting me to relax and put my head and neck in the correct position. We trotted different shapes and practised shoulder fore, going large and went up into canter both ways.

Dad was able to get some advice on sustaining the canter better, stopping it falling in and on the downwards transition. We cantered in a twenty metre circle and going large and, at the end of the session, we even crossed the diagonal in canter -although I wouldn't come down to trot quickly enough. This involved a pretty hectic flying change -which was more like the legs falling off a table at high speed...but we survived.

We have lots of homework until our next lesson: speeding up the softening process of my neck and jaw, not allowing me to take the rein down too low as an evasion, preventing falling out (with outside leg forward to guide my shoulder) and in, lots of shoulder fore to soften and rounden and sustained cantering on both reins without using the crop. Dad recognised his aids need to be quicker and more effctive, so there's plenty to work on.

Dad asked if he should do the group lesson. Liz didn't really think it worthwhile for us since she wouldn't be able to give us that much individual attention and the private lessons worked better.

We came in and I went out to graze at 11.45 whilst Dibby hacked for an hour. We came in at 3.45, so I had four hours out and Dibby only three, but it was enough today. It was good having a lesson again; cobs relish a good lesson.