Tuesday - Try - sticking together breakthru and shoulders

When I arrived I took a few minutes to watch BA warmup Devon: His trot quickly went from slow to more energy, tracking up beautifully, suspension and lift and loose shoulders. I thought that about Try's trot in comparison--that she has to work hard for less result.

Saw Try and she really didn't want to do anything in the beginning. We walked a little but hung out and watched Jen's bareback jumping session with Brandon--really impressive strength. The walked with follow my focus/straight line/where is Try thinking. Then built to jog alternating with trot and Try was really in the mood to use less energy. Then trot serpentines with bending in the turns to work on my position and cueing and loosen Try's shoulders. 

Next canter on the rail 2 laps concentrating on my sitting deep as top priority. Interestingly Try had a nice relaxed canter--perhaps a bit draggy but only got hard and on her forehand when  I asked for a turn off the rail. Hmm--next time it would be great to repeat with circles in the corner and check to see if she is falling in and how quickly we can relax. Perhaps bareback also.

Also I would like us to ride in Ollie's pasture playing with lifting the forehand going downhill.

After cantering Try's energy was up and we played with the figure 8--bending the opposite way to go to the next circle. (Karen Rohlf exercise for suppling shoulders.) It took Try awhile to relax after the canter and concentrate again but we did it.

Then in the center of the ring: backup, sideways and spins using her shoulders--she lifted her shoulders like never before almost like a reining spin. Leaving that area she picked up an energetic trot and I said great you want to trot lets go--she did so then decided that was enough. So we went to the rail for shoulder in (rail shoulder forward) once each direction.

Then to the round pen to finish: Lovely big immediate trotting stick to me and she was really stuck. Sideways away and toward also. Then shower and finish.