Soft is the name of the game

Immediately happier with his bit in--forward, energetic, soft and round.

Wanted to keep spooking at the corner with the chairs in it because birds were taking a dust bath. Consistently bulged out to fake spook at them despite my spur in his rib.

Walk warm up: Easy peasy leg yields on and off the rail both directions, stayed round and quiet, automatic for him at this point. TOH he just gets now, no cause for tension, he understands the ask. HI was much improved--no weird, wild angle--and he did a great renvers.

Went right in to sitting trot since he was so soft and relaxed. A few chomps here and there but overall quiet in his mouth. Had to get after him a couple times to make his circles the size I wanted them and to keep them circle shaped instead of drifting out. Lots of changes of directions and 10, 15 and 20m circles to keep him from thinking tense thoughts.

He kept his neck long and his poll up with a soft back and forward pace. Let him be done after maybe ten minutes because it was so good. Decided since all the Second movements are in place, they just need spit shine, and since who knows when showing will resume again, we might as well fuck with the changes.

L to R remains easy and clean.

In the past, and the reason I quit with the changes completely, the R to L change was a complete meltdown-inducing shit show. He'd sense it coming, throw a fit, not get the change, throw an even bigger fit, and then that was the end of working on changes because he was too busy rearing and throwing himself around.

Today though! He let me work away at that change. I had to give him a few corrections--no, I'm not asking you to pick the canter back up yet, keep walking; no, you don't need to bolt once we get to the rail--but I made them firm and quick and moved right on and his brain never got stuck on them.

I don't think he ever got one completely clean this direction, but we got to the point where he completely understood the ask, waited patiently for the cue, did his best, and cantered off like a normal sane horse. I had to be very clear in my instruction: ride like I was going to ask him to hold the counter canter--bent to the right, my leg slightly over-exaggerated from where I keep it pressed against his side so he knows I'm asking him to hold the lead--and then when I was ready for the change, I straightened him and switched my exaggerated leg position to the opposite side. He would pop right over in the front no problem, but he didn't have the jump for the clean change like he does going L to R.

I was really, really pleased with him though and I let him finish there with candy shoved down his throat. Maybe not clean yet, but calm and thinking, and for him that was a HUGE step in the right direction.