3rd gear....

Lately we have been working on our cantering or loping. My person decided one day (thankfully), that she couldn't expect our canter/lope work to be good if we avoided it. Part of the issue is that I tend to give 1,000% when something is asked of me. When she asked for a lope- I gave her almost an all out Run. We would go around in circles at a quick pace. Appaaerntly that's not what she wanted. How was I to know????

Starting our work on the lunge line- I'm a bit short strided as I haven't loosened up yet

Aaaand before long I have loosened up and relaxed. So we change directions and keep going....

Then she asked me to lope

So I obliged and rolled into it.

I could understand doing this on the line. But when she gets on me, things changed. She would ask for 3rd gear and I gave her about 6th. We went fast. Really, really fast. 

One day we both finally "Got it!" Things clicked and we Hit our Stride so to speak. What happened you might ask? Well she sat up straight for starters, relaxed her legs and seat, asked for the lope and when I rolled into it, she gave me a few strides to relax, sat up straight and slowly brought me back to her with her hands.  

Her weght shifted back slightly and I shifted my balance back onto the rear end where it belongs, rounded into the bridle and softened, loping along all relaxed..... for which she Heaped on the praise! We got a few circles one direction that way and a few the other way too, all calm and relaxed so she quit us there.

Cropped from the above pic. 

Jogging again before being ridden. 

Our next workout, things seemed to fall apart all over again and I found myself racing around, braced in the bridle, tense and up tight. My person wasn't thrilled about it, but she let it go. I could tell she was disappointed, but at the same time it didn't seem like she blamed me. Our next ride we found IT again and I rolled into a nice relaxed and collected lope. Again she Heaped on the praise. When she does that, then I know I'm doing things right and she is pleased. I like making her happy.