Back to work

And just in time because someone got FAT being parked in front of his hay net doing zero work for nearly three weeks. 

I started him back under saddle just over a week ago. Lots of walking and a few laps of trot. The first ride he felt fine if crooked and drunk AF as he always does when he gets any time off. The ride after that however I thought he felt maybe lame in the trot? I couldn't tell if it was because he was splatted on his forehand and being lazy, or if he was actually unsound. Fortunately his PEMF worker had finally recovered from her sickness and was able to work on him. Next ride? Definitely sound!

While he's a big fat fatty, he is trained and all the hacking out and stretching work we did before he put a hole in his leg means he's ready to go. Taking it slow and building the fitness back, but step right back where we left off to be sure.

That meant that yesterday I asked for his first flying change. Farrier's German Shepherd was being annoying and weaving in front of us left and ride, but I think it ended up helping us out in the end because as we came across the diagonal Opie was distracted trying to avoid the dog and didn't get the chance to get worked up. I asked for the change and he grunted and hefted his ass over clean as could be first try. I gave him mega praise and didn't touch the canter again.

Today I put him in the double. As we've been doing for warm up, lots and lots of lateral work all over the place. Hit the half passes in trot today as well and he remembered that he does know how to do them easy peasy. Good w/t work done, into the canter.

We started left to right since that's his easier direction until he decides it's not. Bam, clean change first ask. 

Right to left he kept trying to skip through with a trot step until I made sure to keep him coming, and then he was late behind the first ask. No problem, turn right back around and do it again. Bam, clean change.

For the first time I feel like he actually knows what the question is and what the answer is supposed to be. Is he going to be lazy and kind of a rage monster still? Probably. But it really is like he's understanding a flying change. GOD FUCKING BLESS.

After a nice long strechy break we did a bunch of trot work--circles and serpentines while doing transitions within the gait. From there I asked him back into the canter, made a 20m circle, and then across the diagonal right to left. He didn't change behind and when I stopped him to turn around he got his tongue flapping and thought about getting upset, but I talked him off the ledge and sent him right back across. Aaaand bam, clean change!

The best part is he's not losing his shit with them. No bolting, no launching skyward, no refusing to move. I don't know if it's because he's feeling more confident with them, or if we're just taking a break from those dramatics, but hopefully it's the former not the latter.