Fast Learner & Jimmy Jumps

Well today Jimmy came out sound as can be, and happy to work. Kind of exciting. He also lunged himself and while I wasn't looking, started kind of jumping, but kind of dodging the barrels that were set up. He had room to go around them, but just chose not to....He couldn't QUITE decide if he wanted to make the full effort though, so I shortened up the line and clucked & the next few times he just cantered over the barrels that were lying on the ground. REALLY UGLY form, but he did it, and continued to be sound. Oh - and once he remembered how much he loves jumping, he steered himself at the rails on the ground for Pepe and jumped through those too as a one-stride. I'd say that his new feet are doin' him good ;-) I just let him off the line to finish and he galloped himself around & trotted the biggest, highest trot I've probably ever seen out of him. He was nothing if not proud of himself today. It made me pretty proud too.

Pepe is really stellar. Day one: Wouldn't stand at the mounting block....by day two he stood like a gem first try and hasn't thought twice about it since. Day Two: He could barely steer through the two rails on the ground and chickened out by the second rail almost every time. Day Three: He walked, trotted, and CANTERED (with the right stride number!!!!!) through the rails. UN-REAL. He is SO much fun to teach, I can barely believe I'm so lucky to have drawn another awesome horse to work with.

He did have one issue today, which was suppleness. He's never had that term, "suppleness" from Day One & I've been doing more relevant things with him like steering and momentum (basics, IMO) instead of demanding the bends he should carry himself with. Well today he had his first little baby meltdown and did NOT want to steer AND canter AND bend. His weak direction is the right, so of course it happened that way. He was immediately brought down into a happy circle of casually walking with his nose at my toe until he stopped fighting me. Then I carried on and let him canter to the left. I like to let them "forget" about the lesson they just learned and then test them to see if they remember that lesson later. Whattaya know?! By the end of the ride, he was cantering, SUPPLE to the right, and cantering through the one-stride rails on the ground, without blinking an eye.

Need I remind you....? I. Love. Teaching. (horses AND humans)