The Real Work Begins.

Solo has been a bit tender footed with the constant changing mud fest to frozen mud daggers for footing in the paddocks. However, he has finally been feeling better so I wanted to get to working more in the canter and with some canter poles seeing as his balance is actually beginning to come together and his last stallion hormones/habits have more or less depleted. Not that he had much in the “balls” department hehe.
Anyhow. While I wanted the pole “circle of death” but I just don’t feel he is there yet so we went half way and set one just inside A and another just inside of C.

We warmed up in our usual way. Working on thinking slight turn on the forehand coming through corner with a little half halt to get our haunches back underneath us and tossed in a few transitions from halt to walk, halt to trot, walk to canter etc.
Solo doesn’t require much “wake up” time like P did but he does need this time to gain a good attitude and stretch out and find his parts. Going from I think I can to I got this tude.

After a bit of work both ways and a brain break I started in a canter, chose a rhythm and kept a keen feel of where out shoulder or haunches were. Our biggest issue. Then as I started a circle I headed over one pole to test before adding the other.
Solo did extremely well to the right. Holding his rhythm, pace and picking his distance nearly every time. I felt a few warbles and near stumbles but he held his own!
The left was more what I expected of a three year old. Unbalanced, fumbly and totally out of straightness lol.
The trouble seemed to stem from the inability to hold his balance to keep the rhythm and pace and weighting the inside shoulder too much, leading to falling on the forehand and loss of haunches.
So as much as I love “figure it out” I had to step in. A little tap on the inside shoulder and a good half halt and steady outside aids seemed to fix it and Solo was quickly floating over the poles. Though, not without losing it all four strides later. But progress.

Today, after staying in two point to free up his back I am feeling it in my hips. Who knew....  I am actually starting to ride again!!!