Fun with Chance

A came over today at 10 for a Spring training session to help me assess Chance to get an idea of what and where we are headed. He is the best he has ever been and it's only April. I knew he felt good, but I had no idea how good. A went over him with a fine tooth comb, from haltering to saddling and riding. The only time he was unsure or hesitant at all was when she 1st started with him or did something with him that he hasn't done in a long time. He had the "Oh Man, what are you going to do to me?" look in his eyes. He is soft, very very soft, responsive, sensitive and calm. I am going to have to retrain myself to be very careful about being soft. He has been so stuck in the past that at times my responses have had to be big and sometimes pretty strong, that is not the case now with this new horse out in the paddock! I even rode him around in and out of the paddock, trotting, and just having fun with him. To see him moving as nice as he is and feeling as good as he does brought tears to my eyes. To ride him and feel how loose and fluid his movements are is incredible. I say loose because to me he has felt like a rusty tin man. It's been a long couple of years and I believe we are headed for a very fun summer.