Spanish Trot? Ai Carumba!

We got a wee bit wet today. Not a pleasant day at all and I didn't even really feel like having a lesson to be honest.

But it was lovely to see our RI again and once we got going my mind was on the job. Sammie was such a good boy considering the conditions weren't exactly favourable.

I think I have finally mastered shoulder in. I watched a bit of another lesson first and I think things began to click a bit more. It's certainly not fluid but we're doing the right moves. Well, Sammie can do them anyway, it's just me that needs to get my brain in gear, but I did have a lightbulb moment so it's something I can really practice with confidence now as I have it all very clear in my head.

As we were doing the lateral work Sammie decided to throw in a few Spanish Stamps for good measure - I had a sense it was going to happen. RI was delighted! "He's walking and doing it!" she exclaimed. She was laughing at the determined stamps and towards the end of the lesson she walked alongside us to try and get him to lift higher. She also got me to put my feet really forward and sort of walk with my feet to encourage each leg up.

I was so pleased Sammie got to show of his new trick and the look on RI's face when he suddenly did it was a picture. But RI being a brilliant RI, she said "Oooh I think we can work on that and get him to lift those legs higher!" I said it wasn't Spanish Walk as such and she said it was, it's just a work in progress. Apparently getting them to understand that they can walk forwards whilst lifting the front legs to any degree is one of the hardest parts. What a clever boy he is!

After that the trot was lovely, so light and bendy - I just love that feeling. RI said that generally he was looking a lot lighter and when I told her what I'd been doing on the long lines she agreed that it was really helping him. So Spanish Stamping does the trick! Oh and apparently there is such a thing as Spanish Trot - so obviously Sammie knows a lot more than me.

We also worked on my sitting trot a bit more and keeping my elbows relaxed. I think lots of changes of direction helps as it stops you fixing your position if that makes sense. But it's another thing I know I've got to look out for now, because as soon as I relax my elbows, my wrists relax more and so does Sammie. Small tweaks but they really do make a huge difference.

We didn't do any cantering as the surface wasn't brilliant and we both thought that Sammie had given more than enough.

He got a chocolate crispy thing as a reward and enjoyed it immensely. I think part of the reason the horses seem to do so well with RI is because of her enthusiasm. She is so quick to give them heaps of praise (stroking and lots of kind, praising words) when they do something well, I reckon they find it quite infectious, it seems to make them want to try. I can feel it from RI, so I'm sure they can.

So all went well and I have some more stuff to work on. I just have to learn to relax my seat more with that shoulder in, but it's so difficult when each hand, leg and seatbone are doing different things. I never used to like to try it without RI there in case I got it wrong, but now it's straighter in my head I think I can get on with it and like the SS, it's a great exercuse for suppleness.