Galloping

Well I finally got brave and let the Stinker gallop. I was supposed to have a lesson but Pongo had a loose shoe and it had been raining a lot, so I didn't really want to ride him. S suggested we take a trail ride and I decided to take Stinker.

It started off pretty standard. Him hollowed and prancing. For the most part I tried to ignore it and distract him by doing shoulder fores and I tried to concentrate on making my hips walk and blocking his legs from my mind. It sort of worked at the best.

We ended up taking a trail to an open field that has a galloping trail cut in it. I asked S if she minded if we cantered a little and she said no it's fine I'll gallop too. I *tried* to put Stinker in a nice canter and he decided to haul ass. I made him come back to me but then decided why not let him go. I turned him loose and that little Stinker is pretty darn quick when he wants. I was very pleased with him because when I asked him to slow up he listened.

I haven't had that much fun in quite some time. When I was a kid I was a speed demon and I guess it is still in there. I had been afraid to turn him loose before but I think it does him good. He is so anxious under saddle and without the gallop he doesn't have an outlet for it so it keeps building. This results in a tense hollow pony instead on a relaxed stretching one I get on the lunge line. I think a gallop twice a week is in our future and I'm going to start working in more canter work. Hopefully this will make our sessions more productive and I will have a happier pony.