While the cat is away... the mice work

While Judy is training with Jan in CA Maryal filled in with a lesson day. Remy woke up on the right hoof and was a very eager student. It is really cool to work with two professionals that complement each other. Maryal: “OK, this is what Judy means when she wants you to have him on the outside rein”. I tend to take things very literal, and sometimes a key part gets ‘lost in translation’.

So, back to the outside rein: Getting Remy on the outside rein does not mean holding it with a death grip (duh!), rather that he honestly has to move off my inside leg onto an elastic outside rein. I knew that, of course, but knowing unfortunately doesn’t always translate into doing…

Other points to keep in mind:

-   Think of leg yielding into the corners

-   Keep a steadier connection, Remy needs to seek the contact, especially with the increasing collection the connection has to be established

-   Walk - Canter transitions (uh!): Slow the walk, get a collected walk, ‘ride’ Remy’s stifles (bring him more underneath himself), use the seat aids “more seat, less leg”

-   Once in the canter follow it with a more swinging seat

-   Shoulder-in: Think of going on the diagonal, that way the correct bend is established. Note: Resulted in best feeling shoulder-in I’ve got so far

Our trot work was so nice that Maryal jokingly asked “Are you sure he is a Morgan?” (and not an imported warmblood).

So, the cat is away, but the mice worked. Not like at our barn, where Jerry has decided that life as a house cat definitely has it’s perks, and therefore the mice truly play while the cat is away. Case in point: Two mice where happily scurrying around while JP cleaned stalls. Just supervising, of course, there are barn standards to uphold!