September 24, 2011 - The canter key

Rory and Totyo playing in the morning

Today we worked on canter transitions and cantering for longer.  Rory was better on both counts.  I discovered that if I can get Rory to lift his back and stretch forward before asking (relaxed jaw, light bend) he can easily step into the canter on the correct lead.  He doesn't always relax his jaw quickly, especially if he's distracted by something, but it's a good start.  After the ring work we went out into the hayfield for a few minutes again.