Almost half way through the month already, I know but I need to get better about the planning bit of ST. I’ve been messing about in a very unfocused way for the last three months or so due to him moving and it being super busy but things are beginning to be less stressful so I’d like to make some clearer progress!

So the aim for October will be to resubmit my longeing touchstone. At the moment his schedule looks a bit like this:
Monday: ST
Tuesday: polework
Wednesday: hack or ridden schooling
Thursday: ST
Friday: day off
Saturday: ST
Sunday: hack

I’m trying not to school too much as it confuses the straightness training work a bit I think but the polework is useful to try build up some cardio fitness that the ST doesn’t really help with. I’m hoping we can get our hacking confidence up enough soon to go out on our own. I don’t think it will take long!

My ST plan for each session is:
– standstill exercises: concentrate on keeping him off his shoulders, and getting him a bit more willing
– LFS on a small circle: focus on getting him out of ‘zimmer frame mode’ and moving a bit more forward
– LFS on a straight line: focus on getting him out of ‘zimmer fram mode’ and moving forward but without the push, particularly on the left rein
– LFS on the small circle, then moving onto a larger circle: focus on keeping the balance and rhythm, with him moving away from me and not me moving away from him
– stopping on a circle: encouraging him to keep him head down in LFS when stopping, not adopting an immediate giraffe stance.

That’s quite a lot now I write it down!!!