Magic my teacher

Sometimes he must think I am thick. For some time I've felt that I didn't like the amount of -R I have been using in groundwork. For Magic, there is too much "you must" - in my rope handling. I am sure that most of this is in my ineptitude but Magic ALWAYS goes better when at liberty. Why would that be??

And, it is becoming increasingly apparent, that he goes better and is more happy to "work" when I am riding than doing groundwork with a bridle on. I have backed off and given him FAR more choices in our riding, and he is relishing it (hence him taking me for an off piste hack through the wood!)

Today, for the first time since we moved, we went out with headcollar on, but no rope. 43 acres of fun for a Magic if he really decided to leave! First off, we did WWYLM. Then he stopped and head lowered in a BIG way. Now it was windy, so I took that to mean that he needed to calm himself down. When he had done so, we got the best WWYLM ever. So my lesson today is that I will NOT keep "going in" and asking for the same thing, I will wait until he OFFERS it.

When I waited for him to come with me, it was sooo much fun when he came back. He really does need the opportunity to leave for him to want to stay.

Merlot - we rode round the top wood, did some trotting, which got him a bit high energy, but he calmed as soon as we walked. We figure of 8'ed down different rides a few times, then came out and worked round the cones, got walk/trot really softly, asked for canter - ears pinned, fast trot. Kept asking with light leg aid and voice, and eventually he sort of broke into it. C/T. Cue the smoothest canter-halt transition I've ever sat on. Good work Merlot!

We did it 2 more times, each time less sticky, and on the 4th ask, he went straight into canter without even flicking an ear. Stopped and did the other rein, and got canter sweetly on the first ask! He really is a fast learner. It will be interesting to see if he comes out next time remembering today, as he had remembered the walk trot from the last time ok.

Then, we trotted back into the wood, away from home (his decision to trot, not mine!) and cooled down walking around the wood again. He was really cool. He is so comfy and he is so well educated and balanced that even when he is doing hollow he feels great (as long as he is not drawing back and sticking ears up my nose, which is rare now).

Came home and finished with some really good head lowers, but boy, he has a way to go to match Magic, who managed to head lower in all the lush grass with his nose actually in the dirt (beneath the grass) without grazing! Calming down was obviously of more importance than eating!!