When your horse is just too smart...

We are still in the midst of the heatwave, but that didn't deter me from riding: two lessons yesterday and one today, each in 90+F. Of course, to some professionals it's nothing, but to an office dweller it is quite a work out.

Saumur is just too smart, we had to stop practising movements from the test, because he anticipates and then takes over. It goes like "oh, here's a diagonal, let's go for extended trot", or "ah, yes, we are changing directions in the canter, I need to throw in a flying change". So we tried to do flying changes off the beaten path. Problem was, as soon as Sandy said "change" Saumur did it - clearly he thought he could do the job faster without waiting for my (sometimes inadequate or late) aids! So then, no more talking, just doing.

We also worked on the canter pirouettes again, which really were fun. The other exercise we worked on were the half-pass zig-zags. Very neat! Just have to remember to have him straight before changing the bend.

Today we spend a lot of time on keeping Saumur in the counter canter. Sandy felt that that would really help to make him wait for my aids. We hadn't done much counter canter since 2nd level, so I was amazed how well it went and how easy I could get the transitions into the counter canter on the long side. This turned out a perfect exercise for Mr. Smarty-Pants, he waited  for my aids (at least most of the time).

We also had the best extended trots ever. In the beginning I lacked in the half-halts and Saumur broke into the canter, but when we were on - we were ON! I could really feel the thrust from his hind end. So it was all worth sweating buckets and looking like somebody pulled me out of a mud puddle.

I also rode Chambord yesterday, after he had a week off. In the beginning he was rather sluggish, but when this boy gets going, he goes. He is really a lot of fun. We worked on turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, transitions, steadiness in the trot. Today I just warmed him up (OK in this weather maybe not the right expression) for JP. I was really tickled that Chambord just started were we left off yesterday, and JP had a really good lesson. Happiness all around :-)!