Rode both Gracie and Pico this morning -- and Gracie is more fun. :^) I am sure everyone would be surprised by that. We actually worked on the same things. We started with long and low at the trot, engage the back, come through from behind, etc. That of course took longer with Pico. I did a little rollkur with him - that seems to help him release his back. It took about 15 minutes to talk him into releasing, once he did he was able to trot most of a circle without tensing. We worked on a few shallow serpentines and he was able to work through the bend. Right leg yield was pretty good also -- left leg yield caused tension again.
Canter work was the same exercise also -- lengthen and collect on the circle. Pico can lengthen and collect on the right lead, not so much on the left. Gracie had trouble sitting for the collection. I was asking for ultra collected, then move forward with head low and back up. She was very good with the forward, coming back was more difficult. We tried to be engaged enough that coming down to a half was a matter of settling -- never really got there although closer on the left lead than on the right.
Gracie didn't feel off on the left hind this morning. I didn't work the ulta-collected canter for long (10 minutes) because I don't want to make her sore if there is a problem there. Her back did come up quickly this am, so maybe most of that problem is really in her back.
My goal with Gracie is the canter squares (and pirouettes), so I need the ultra-collection.
When warming up the canter I did a few fling changes on Gracie -- she was great right to left, always through and good. Left to right she was late behind a couple of times, but still pretty good.
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