Columbus's Training Diary

Today I had yet another very good chambon session with Columbus. I lunged him for 25 minutes and we mostly worked on transitions this time. We did 5 minutes walk initially and he was very relaxed yet forward going. He is also getting used to a lunging whip and no longer objects to me waving it but reacts appropriately i.e. increases the amount of energy he puts into the steps.
After the initial warm up I did one circle in walk, then back to trot and so on for the next ten minutes. I repeated the same on the left rein, then changed again back to right rein and started working on changing gear it trot. Initially he got really tense in slow trot, straining chambon upright and hollowing the back. After 10-15 repetitions he relaxed and was able to slow down and push forward with neck slightly arched and lowered, back up and hindquarters swinging. He is not yet established in this way of going and would pop his head up now and again but today's session was definitely a step forward.

Then I popped on him and took him up the dressage 'arena' for 40 minutes. It was quite an effort to manoeuvre him within 20x40 space! He is so big that it must feel similar to driving a tube train around some narrow corners!
He takes quite a strong contact on both reins which isn't that bad at all but requires quite a strength from the rider!. I did lots of turns and circles to lighten him on the inside, take outside contact and flex to the inside. After a few minutes I could feel him chewing the bit and he was trying to oblige.
Trot work in such a small space was a real test for him but we managed some 20m circles, three loops serpentines and changes of rein through half a 10m circle! It is quite difficult for me to ride him as I am barely 1.62m (5'2) and my legs don't reach too far under the saddle! He is quite an understanding gentleman though!
We also did lots of walk to halt transitions and he reacted much better than last week, didn't pull on the reins at all.

I am generally very pleased with how he worked today. It was rather hot and although he sweated, it wasn't as bad as before. He also seems a little firmer within his body and you can actually see his neck muscles from underneath the fat layers ;)