Encouraging week!

I have ridden Tex three nights in a row this week- Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I trailered him to the camp next door so I would have lights to ride under after dark. Josh has been helping me each of the 3 nights get a grip on what to work on.
So, what I'm working on is leg pressure. I'm supposed to put my leg into the horse's side about 2 seconds before I pull the reins, so that he will begin to relate leg pressure with turning. And, while remembering to do that, I'm supposed to keep my heels down, press my legs into him toward the front of his body (not toward the middle or rear), use my calves first and then my heel, keep the amount of pressure relative to how sharp I want him to turn, use my legs to keep his speed constant, and also encourage him to turn his front feet, not his back feet. THAT's not much to remember, is it? (sarcasm).
Sunday night, my first night to do all this, I got so frustrated because I felt like I was trying to remember too much at once, and that I was giving Tex 10 signals at once. Which, really, I was giving him 10 signals at once. But, he already knows that he's supposed to keep his speed constant. So I guess he's mainly learning how to turn on leg pressure, and also how to turn correctly (crossing one front leg over the other to turn.) Regardless, it was frustrating the first night, and I felt like I was the one learning, not him.
Monday night was MUCH more encouraging! I could feel Tex actually begin to respond to my leg pressure. When I would push my leg into him, he would turn an ear to me and start showing that he was getting ready to turn.

Tuesday night (last night) showed HUGE improvement! Tex turned correctly I'd say 80% of the time, and he definitely was responding and moving away from the leg pressure. I could feel him moving his front feet correctly (which was improvement on my part) and was able to give him a release when I felt it. We did some great turns at the walk and trot.

Some interesting things that have happened in the last three days:
1. Monday night, Tex spooked at some running horses and a car door slamming, and he didn't buck or run, just jumped a little.
2. Tex encountered a huge beach ball, and doesn't seem to care about it. We rode around it and up to it.
3. Tex will now, on the ground, put two front feet on a platform with barely any encouragement, and stay there. (Which is pretty much useless, but it looks cool.)

Other improvements that have come along with these three days of training-
1. I feel like I'm in better control of my legs and seat.
2. My hands on the reins seem to be more in control.
3. I'm finally able to feel a "correct" turn versus an "incorrect" turn.
4. I think Tex is enjoying being ridden!
5. We are riding in close proximity with other horses while they're being ridden, which is good practice for my Feb. 25th goal of taking Tex to ride around other horses at the team sorting.
6. Being at the camp has put Tex in a different location, which increases his comfort zone.
7. Josh has had to make me suck it up and get on a few times (like after the car door slam spook) and I'm glad that I did it.
8. We're also having time to just sit together- me on Tex, not doing anything but sitting there. That's good practice too!

I have called to schedule my horseback riding lesson, and should be able to do it within the next two or three weeks.

PS maybe soon, with all this riding, my baby fat roll will disappear...

TM