29th May - Why is there never a camera when you need it?

Xaile was brilliant today.  I remembered to think about all the points that came up yesterday and he went fantastically.

He was a happy horse to start with because I lunged him over the jumps that were up in the school.  He flew over them with great enthusiasm.  So he was very happy and relaxed when I got on, no tension in his jaw to start with.

The walk was very good from the start, not perfect but good enough.  He was happily in both hands.  So I went on to trot and he was much easier to ride.  I hardly counter flexed at all on the left rein and he seem quite happy to accept the left leg and it only took a couple of strides for him to bend around it.

He did occasionally block down his right side, so I looked at what I was doing and corrected myeslf and he softened again.

I do have one question though, to ask Bento.  He seems to have two ways of going 'well'.  In one he becomes very light on his front feet, and holds himself nicely in front, but quite high neck carriage (but no bugling muscle under his neck) and seems to dance along.  I have an even contact in both hands, but it is a very light contact.  It feels lovely.

In the other he streches down and feels a bit flat and heavy in the contact.  It feels dull and lifeless.  However he is very even and balanced in the contact.

I wonder which is better.  I suspect neither of them are quite right.  I wish he'd done the dancing light one in my lesson yesterday so I could ask.