Would you believe that I started writing this post on Saturday and never finished it?  You would.

I've thought about this every time I've thought about this post.

So, the last real riding post, I mentioned that Archie had lurched a few times like a drunken sailor back on land.  He's done it once since then, but I immediately incorporated trot poles back in our regime.  The Texan (sure, I could call you "Lauren", but isn't the Texan so much more fun?) mentioned loose stifles and since we have no hills to work with, I thought trot poles.

As with all things in mine and Archie's lives, tracking left so much easier.  We did a few laps, incorporating the poles into every lap.  I asked for a little canter and he gave it with absolutely no fuss.

Tracking right, though, I had a derpy moment.  There was one point where he had to do this giant, ugly extension so as to not land on a pole.  I mean, a whopping three poles with a raised center.  Not complicated.  Shouldn't be messy.  Just go, right?  I almost bailed on completing an equal number of circuits for the right side because it was just so difficult for him.

Finally, my cojones dropped and I realized that the problem wasn't him and the problem wasn't the poles - it was me psyching myself out and holding back, so that he didn't have nearly enough impulsion.  As soon as I asked him for a more forward trot, a little bounce in the step, the poles were perfect.

After all that work, though, I wanted to go walking through the meadow.

No walks without grazing.