Why yes, yes they are! I've had this crazy fear that I'd get on Ben one day and all that we sorted out that one fateful day. That maybe it was just a momentary blip, that everything would slip back into our "normal" way of going and doing.
Nope, I think it is fair to say we have a new normal. This normal is one in which I say "hey Ben, lets canter" and he says "sure okay I can do that" and we canter...and canter, and canter...and keep cantering until I say "hey Ben lets change it up and walk"...
It.Is.SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Nice.
I can work on our canter. I can play with it. We can circle, go straight, do leg yields and loops. I can ask him to half halt and take jumpier steps. I do not feel like I am just a passenger and that my aids are drowned out by white noise.
His strength and confidence is growing. We've been playing with voltes - almost a spiral in to a smaller circle then canter out...and wow how that helps to get the jump.
The canter is FUN. Yes, FUN.
Now for the not so good part....our trot has gone to hell, with its handbasket. In addition to doing all the canters, we've also been trying to pepper in some more shoulder-in. And that, my friends turns out to be a big mind-f*** for my dear gaited friend. He tries. He gets into position. If he can get onto my outside rein he can sometimes get a few steps in. But much of the time, I ask and he positions his body, and falls into the pace. And then from there on, walk or halt to trot = pace instead.
So yea. One thing gets awesome another thing gets a little less-awesome. We have our work cut out for us. I have lost focus/put less focus on the trot. I need to fix that. I know I can get it back, but I'm going to need a little help in doing so. And I will rejoice when the day comes when lateral work doesn't entirely screw the pooch.
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