Delphi Beginning to Learn Half Pass

Our lesson this week focused on trot half pass and counter canter with steps of canter half pass. In counter canter along the wall I worked on bringing her haunches over toward the direction of the canter lead (as I would for canter half pass) which stood her up for a more balanced, more collected counter canter. To do this I kept stepping my weight into the leading stirrup, brought my outside (of the canter lead) leg back to ask her haunches to come in, thus standing her up. The counter canter work helped to improve Delphi's natural canter.

Here are some stills of Karen Brown schooling Delphi the previous day:

Delphi shows good relative elevation with good use of her shoulders in right canter half pass:

Delphi is still developing the required strength to maintain the bend:

"Sufficient" for third level, this reach of shoulder shows promise for improved half pass as Delphi gains strength and training:

You can see the balance still comes and goes; here she is in right canter half pass slightly on her forehand but still showing good energy and bend:

Good again with the shoulders and reach, however we expect improved collection and lower haunches as her training continues and her strength increases:

Here she is in right trot half pass; again "sufficient." Good crossing and bend but will work toward developing more impulsion:

I'd say this is "fairly good" to "good" for a third level initiate's left trot half pass. Like the energy and it has good crossing, reach, and bend.

Good crossing and from this angle we can really see the lightness of the forehand:

Again we see moments of Delphi struggling as if trying to balance with her neck. Though we wish we had more impulsion I like the crossing and bend, and we anticipate better use of the shoulder as her strength develops:

Again good crossing and lightness of the forehand. And from this angle-wowza that is one looooong body Delphi has to collect and carry:

(And no, she's NOT currently carrying a foal, just a rather large hay belly!)

Better use of the neck, and as her strength increases we will see more consistent collection; at this point the uphill tendency is consistent but there are still varying degrees of relative elevation as we see here:

And here, though with good crossing and shoulders leading the half pass: