Lesson

Sarah said Werther was very good for her on Monday. Werther must have used up all his good will for the week, because he was definitely a little bit of a brat with me. After warming up, we started working on a very forward trot, while still maintaining a nice frame. Werther was less than pleased with this development, and tried to suck back a couple times and when I corrected him with the whip he kicked out. I think we are reaching a new stage in our relationship where I have gotten good enough at riding him that I can actually make him work, and Werther can't do whatever he wants. I think he is testing me to see if he can intimidate me into getting his way, and after a couple good working rides where I don't let him take the upper hand, he will acquiesce. The canter transitions were OK, I had one really good one at the end. We spent a good chunk of the lesson on halt walk, at trot halt transitions though the walk. This was very challenging work. We used the quarter line, so I didn't have the wall is a crouch to help me keep Werther straight. I really struggled with getting the halt exactly were I want it, I would prepare too much and he would die before the spot, or I wouldn't prepare enough  and he would go past it. Getting an energetic walk after the halt is going to be very hard, and if I don't have enough impulsion it is going to be near impossible to stay straight.  Also maintaining the frame in the halt, so I don't have to do too much to get him round once he is completely still is going to be tricky. I just need to practice, but I have to do it in such a way that he doesn't anticipate too much. Werther got his feet done today, he was supposed to get his hocks injected today but the vet could not make it out, and now she says she can't make it out till monday which kind of irritates me. I'm getting my wisdom teeth out on Friday, so I wanted both of our times off to coincide, and if he gets his hocks done on Monday he misses a ride with Sarah and I miss my lesson. If she can't do it tomorrow or friday, I will just have to aim for Wednesday of next week.