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Today I really wanted to work a lot more on Max's lateral flexion. He is not coming along as much as I would have liked. I will have to really devote more time to this skill. Without it, I really do not want to go to the canter, nor do I want to go to the bit.
In this video, you can see him move his head, but only reluctantly and only after I put tension in the rope. This is not the way I want it. I would like him to start moving his head as soon as I slide my hand down the rope. In this particular video, you can see that I raise the rein with one hand, then slide my hand down with the other three times before I actually put tension in the rope. Unfortunately, for all but one time, Max would not move his head until after I put tension in the rope. Ideally, I want him to move his head on the first slide of my hand.
In this second video, I am riding Max. I am now riding him fairly easily at the walk and trot. Unfortunately, there is very little control as far as direction is concerned. He is not responding to the rein very well at all. This is a major concern because if he is not compliant with the halter and lead rope then I know that he will not be compliant with the bit and reins under duress. Under ideal conditions, the bit and rein can exert enough pressure to mask problems with compliance. But the halter and lead rope cannot exert enough pressure to cover up disobedience. Ultimately, the objective here is to get Max to be compliant to the bit and reins because he is well trained, not because the bit and reins exert more pressure than he is willing to resist under ideal conditions. When he is compliant to the halter and lead rope, then the bit and reins can be liberated to be vehicles for communication rather than instruments for compliance.
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on June 20, 2009
at 6/20/2009
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