Clair is such a good girl. She can have a week off, and I can hop back on her and pick up right where we left off. She very rarely tenses up or goes on the muscle. She's a thoughtful mare who seems to enjoy her job. The only real fault she has is her tendency to go low and curl behind the bit. She does it out of habit, when she gets tired, or when I ask her to focus on a more difficult movement. Last fall, clinician Suzanne advised me to use the arret to ask Clair to raise her head and open her throatlatch. I've been doing a pretty good job of using it many times during each ride. I do it as softly as I can to still get a reaction. And when she reacts, I don't care if she sticks her nose out or up. I just want her to understand that UP is good. I've also been using the Pessoa in the high, crossed position, which seems to keep her from wanting to go low. You'll see some arrets in the videos below.
My current focus is canter-walk and trot lengthening. She has a super lengthening in the pasture -- now to harness that under saddle.
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