Little moments mean a lot

Sig's looking and feeling amazing!  Dressage schools are going well, he's feeling great undersaddle, very soft in the bridle and pushing well from behind.  I got him an Equiband system, I'm looking forward to playing with that over the winter to see if/how it helps him continue to develop through his back and hind end.

 

Equiband system

Jumping's going well too, I'm getting more of my feel back and he's been a total star.  I'm having Ashley ride him once a week to help me out with his schedule and I know that's a good, positive investment in his progress as well.  A couple videos from this past weekend:

 

 

This last video isn't pretty, but it's one I'm very proud of (it felt a little sketchier than it looks).  Sig sometimes has to bumble his way through an exercise before he really respects it or figures it out.  He stepped on the ground pole leading into it and tripped a bit, which sucked the forward impulsion out of him.  Instead of giving up at any point, he pulled up his big boy pants and jumped his way through the grid.  Ashley noted that even a few months ago this wouldn't have been the case, and we were both very happy and proud of him for getting this done.  This was kind of a big moment for us all.   His first response is usually a "Yes Ma'am" and that's a pretty awesome thing to have.

He's a cool dude and I feel lucky to have him.