When you give your horse 8 months off.

1. Hair grows.
2. Pot bellies form.
3. Grey turns into brown from dirt.
4. Attitudes change from “Oh hi, Mom!” to “You don’t know anything, mother, get off my back!”
5. Sitting trot turns into crazy collected canter with a squeal every time I half halt.
6. Bouncing on the spot is back in fashion.
7. Leaning on the bit is cool too.

Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do. Tonight, after lunging and getting his attention semi-focused on me, I spent quite awhile doing trot figure eights. When he didn’t lighten up on my hands, I switched to walking, halt transitions and then bending circles and counter bending until he was a little bit more relaxed. Then I attempted sitting trot, but soon discovered that he no longer knows what it is- and spent a good half an hour trying to re-teach that skill, to not much avail. So back to lateral work at a walk, and then posting trot. It’s a good thing I’m patient. And I love my pony.