OTTB - Spurs, No Nose Band and Counterclockwise

Today, Bouffe went the best he ever has since I have owned him. But three things had to be happening: I had to be wearing spurs, Bouffe was not wearing a nose band and we were traveling counterclockwise around the ring. Three things that are learned behavior from ten years on the racetrack. 

Now the spurs, no, not all exercise riders wear them and Bouffe could still be testing me on that one. But on the racetrack itself and even walking around the shed row everything is always done in a counterclockwise direction and Bouffe would be very happy if it stayed that way. But one thing Bouffe is going to have to learn to like is traveling clockwise in the ring. We worked on that today and even trotted but he wasn't happy and we changed to a counterclockwise direction to end the session on a positive note.

I know Bouffe wore a shadow roll when he raced, but from his high head carriage in this win picture, it wasn't doing much good.

That is also the way he carried his head when I first started riding him. And of course my first reaction was to use a martingale to help keep it down. WRONG! It was just amazing how, as soon as I stopped using a nose band his head went down to the proper level. If I hadn't paid attention to the fighting he was doing when the bridle with a nose band was put on, his head would still be up in my lap.

Bouffe did excellent in a counterclockwise direction completing one full turn of the ring at a trot without me asking him to do it. I also put a makeshift yoke on Bouffe, which because I could hold on to it, made all the difference in me being able to post and be on the right diagonal.

We also did our usual figure eights and bends in both directions. I have to say today was a very successful session.