SECOND DAY OF CLASS

It is day 2 of school. A week has gone past and the weather is cold and rainy. Fritz does not volunteer as he had last week, but is easy to catch. We exchange greetings and soon are in class.

Photo A I want to start with something familiar to Fritz, so we begin with the inside turns. His emotion is high but, before long he settles in to figure out what I want.

Photo B By focusing on driving the hip forward and asking for the inside turn, I can eventually have Fritz walking around me in a close circle with his head to the inside. His turns are fluid through the shoulders.

Photo C This lesson is great because he has to control his own emotions to concentrate on the cues. This control will then transfer to every area of his training.

Photo D We take a moment to reward his great efforts then move on to the bridle. I will try to do bridle work every lesson for I will use the bit throughout his life and only much practice makes it right.

Photo E And so begins the softening process of picking up on the rein, waiting for the give.....

Photo F ....and releasing the rein. This is the "yes" cue and tells the horse he did what I wanted.

Photo G Many repetitions will bring Spot 1 (the jawbone) to Spot 6 (the point of the shoulder) developing the head position and softness needed for control.

Photo H ...but not today. Class is finished and we end by spending some quiet time before I gather my things and head towards home.