How To Train Your Human

He thinks he's so clever.

This week of summer-preview weather has been full of riding, and washing, and cleaning, and doing all of the outside things. I find myself wanting to slow down every time I'm outdoors and just soak up the sun and the warmth and the birds singing. 

My plan for our ride on Wednesday was to mostly take it easy since it was 80 degrees, Dino's still half furry, and he had jumped the day before. I wanted to work on going back and forth a bit in our canter and start to re-claim the different gears, but that was about it. 

Dino was happy to get to work, and I focused on stretching him out after working hard earlier in the week. He really got into the stretchy trot circles! 

After practicing lengthening and shortening our canter in half seat, I asked Dino to come back to a more dressage-appropriate canter on a circle. He did BEAUTIFULLY to the right. To the left it was a different story. 

He fishtailed his hind end out, bulged his right shoulder, and dove down with his head and neck, effectively popping me out of the tack and forcing me to hover over the saddle while he performed this ugly, unbalanced canter, because Lord knows it was impossible to sit. 

That's when it hit me. 

Dino was training me to let him go around like this. When he launches into this heavy-on-the-forehand, crooked canter, it takes everything I've got to keep my butt in the saddle, so most of the time I end up hovering in half seat to cope. 

Well, Mr. Pony, this human is wise to your ways! You're not getting away with this nonsense anymore! 

Once I realized that I was being played the fool, I let my inner Dressage Queen reign and sat that canter like I've never sat before. I held my core strong, picked up my hands, applied my outside aids and made Dino come to me. 

It worked. 

Instead of allowing Dino to put me where he wanted me and get away with not working properly, I put myself where I wanted him to be, and he met me there. Funny how it works when you ride the gait you want!