Lyric's owner was onhand for the training, so I was able to spend some time showing her how to ask for in-hand work before riding. It was her first time working in-hand with a horse, so we had a lot to cover. :-)
His lateral trot work improved GREATLY over his previous ride. For the first time he was really able to trot shoulder-in, half pass decently, and his collection work had also improved. He has much more spring and push in his hindquarters, and they were definitely taking more weight as he tracked in a collected trot. We also worked extended trot as well, and basic lengthening and compacting of frame. He's just learning all of this, so he has to really be guided when asked so he knows he's giving the right gait and balance.
We worked on a bunch of lateral work and I started playing with his canter transitions. He did GREAT canterwork, doing less than 20m circles with ease (and MUCH more uphill this time!!!!!) and was better balanced both ways. We did a walk to canter transition on his left lead that was excellent--relaxed, balanced, and correct. While feeling a significant lean in the left lead, he was more responsive to the left leg during the canter and I was able to support him better with it and he was able to start bending around it (truly supporting the left hindquarter). He also was less "go get 'em" after his canter work. While he was strong in his trot, he wasn't running around in it. At the same time, his aerobic work has been strengthening him in general and he can now work at a decent pace for 45 minutes without tiring much at all.
His owner and I also noted the increased lumbar and stifle muscle he's developed in the last 3 weeks. A great day for Lyric.
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