Impromptu lesson.

I was able to get out to the barn tonight and sneak into a lesson. I hate going more than a week without a lesson but couldn't make my regular lesson (Tuesdays at 8pm) this week. I would've ridden anyway, but since there's really only one indoor arena to ride in I would've been in the ring with the lesson anyway. To travel safely I would've followed the gaits and directions of the lesson anyway...might as well be IN the lesson. Luckily KAT was willing.

He looked tired when I got there and I could tell he'd been sweating. It was in the low 70's today and he hasn't had his coat on since Friday so I knew he must've been worked. Yay! I LOVE it when KAT rides him. She's really really good with him, AND the exercise keeps him in check. She said he'd done well for her this week. I could tell he was nice and tired so I didn't bother to lunge him. He stood VERY quietly for me when I mounted. I praised him for that. I actually had to ask him more than once to walk on. He was very good in the lesson and KAT is helping me do better with keeping him in frame. It's hard for me to tell what his frame is really doing when I'm mounted so it's really beneficial to me to have KAT directing me. It seems I've been messing with his face in NOT the right way so we worked on that. I seem to have developed a rather bad habit of pulling him around just enough to annoy him but not really enough to get him to do what I am asking. So we worked on that tonight. I could tell he's been improving with the training rides he's gotten in the last week. I think I'll schedule a private lesson next week when my Mom is here so I can have it taped.

We loped circles on one lead only (large group lesson) so I picked his better lead. He was SO much slower than he's been I was kind of taken a back and confused. He did pretty well, though. I realized after I had finished that I wasn't very comfortable with the slower lope because a) it was so different from what he usually does and b) I was a little afraid he'd stumble since he seemed slow. KAT said he looked good, though, and he didn't stumble at all.

I spent the cool-down time with a draped rein. He was VERY good except when we passed KAT by the gate and he wanted to stop and get some love instead of moving forward. He's such a cuddler.

I should be able to ride him a lot more now that my show is open. The next sticky time for me isn't until February.

Here's a few of the new photos my friend took. He's AWESOME! My profile picture is one of his, too.