Maraschino's weekend workout

I spent the weekend and Friday getting Maraschinos confidence and curiosity back to where it should be plus advancing all the games and pre-ride checks. He's very good at staying focused in me now rather than getting distracted. I did two sessions a day. In the AM we did sending to obstacles and walk trot and canter with the saddle on and stirrups down. He didn't blink an eyelid.

 

I also put the bridle on for the first time, starting his bridling training off well by getting him to have his head low and seek the bit. He spent the whole time chewing the bit but I think he likes chewing on things. I did the bit simulations for contact and also lateral flexion like Linda showed with Hot Jazz. I also did some liberty in the pen with him. Little more difficult to get the HQ to move round than the FQ.

In the afternoon we did circling with me on the barrel, walk trot canter and change of direction then figure 8. By the end of tonight he was trotting and cantering quite relaxed then he did figure 8 at trot. Cool.

Then I got up on my huge tyre and did some work from up there, getting him to stand for mounting, do figure 8s back toe, and lateral flexions as well as HQ disengagement. Lots of relaxing and rubbing too and head down....I'd spent the middle of both days this weekend watching all the RBI DVDs again.

Taking the bridle off the normal way (not undoing the buckle) made him out his head up tonight so we worked on that till it was good. Lots of yawning after that.

I got Tori's Tshirt yesterday...it's nice.