Sitting What?

Things have been pretty quiet in Ben's world. Lots of pasture time, grazing, and sun bathing. Every couple of days I take him out to tool around.

One thing we've been quietly working on is shortening up his stride, and slowing it down enough to be sit-able. A year and a half ago I would've laughed if someone had told me I'd be sitting Ben's trot.

I've been using my Flexee for this work, and Ben seems to like this saddle the best. So however strange it is, it works for us. I can take off my stirrups and do w/t/c with no problems. We're a work in progress (when are we not?) but I'm pleased with how things are going. But if I work on gathering his trot so the hind legs don't go so far out the back door, and if I use my core and look up and keep my elbows soft, I can sit it. Once I get that, I can slowly ask for more trot, and still sit it. We're a long ways from it being respectable enough for a show ring, but heck- gotta start somewhere, right?

And as it turns out, that work also improves the other stuff, too.