Happy.

I'm tired. What's new.

I'm coming home in a little less than a week! I'm so excited! I arrive in Houston Thursday night and leave Monday morning. It's going to be great and it better be outrageously hot or else.

The snow is finally melting and spring is on it's way, although not as soon as anyone would like. It was in the upper 40's today. The Lord is good to us.

This week we've just started doing flying changes with Caruso. While some are still late or slow behind they have been mostly clean. Even now when they are late it's much better because I can feel how he gets very slow behind and can't possibly do the change. I have to really focus on keeping him quick and connected- that he jumps through connecting under into the change- that he is straight and connected equally on both reins. Now too it is more important that he overreacts than he becomes to slow. My aids for the change stay the same but can be emphasized by a firm tap with my whip that he thinks "he asked for the change and NOW I must do the change," not simply "he asked for the change." This forward quick thinking during the change is a very controlled feeling, not just chasing him into it. In leading up to the changes over the last month or so we've been riding a lot of transitions in the canter- forward back, some working pirouettes, canter walk, stretching him over his back, and so on- all getting him to strengthen and carry behind. He is very used to have me carry him and I am very used to doing it. The stronger he gets and the more he connects, the easier it is to feel and make him quicker behind- because he does so without running into my hands. We usually ask for the change after doing a lot of counter canter work. We ask on the straight side before a corner or on a circle approaching a wall. 

It is so wonderful because I can remember a time when when I felt completely not in control, especially in the canter. I felt like I had no effect and the more I did the more he ran into my hands, or, rather, the more I pulled on his face the more he ran into my hands. We have come a long way, and I have to constantly remind myself that because I feel like there is so much more we can do and we are completely capable of it. It's like I can't sit still sometimes. It's all to much excitement.