Bending and Revelations

Two enlightening days :)

Had a lesson on Tuesday focusing on balance and bending using an exercise with 10m circles. I've avoided small circles with her so far, thinking I didn't want to push her too much in the bending department as she can be a bit plank-like and I don't like to unbalance her by asking too much.  Well, with encouragement from most excellent instructor, we both managed the exercise with no problem whatsoever -
10m circle on left rein at H, change rein H to R
10m circle on right rein at B, change rein B to V
10m circle on left rein at K

Was super, really got her bending, steady, rhythmic - we did it in walk and trot, then had a lovely, bouncy, steady canter on a 20m circle.  My plan is to be able to do the 10m circle exercise in canter, just trotting to change the rein - a goal for the next few weeks I think.

The other revelation involved lunging, the one thing we really have had no success with whatsoever!  Well, turns out the answer was just to add another lunge line - I tried her with two lines, more like long-reining, and she was a different horse - listening to me, relaxing into an outline and working beautifully.  Was dead pleased with her, I think we will attempt a few minutes lunging with the two lines once or twice a week as it's so helpful to be able to see from the ground what she's actually capable of.