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The previous week I was away at a conference, so my trainer L. and her working student/groom/fellow boarder T. rode Odin.

Sunday I came back to a much more supple Odin, and I was able to get a really great lesson even if had been away for a week. We worked on bend and getting that elusive elastic feel on the rein contact. Hard, but some rewarding moments. I wish my hands were better!

Monday was more of the same, with a bit of counter canter, which really helps to make him more supple. It definitely feel like he has an easier time collecting and bending in the canter than the trot. Ir probably helps that I sit better in the canter too...
At the end of the lesson we had a little argument. I was chatting with L. and Odin kept moving around. She told me to make him stand still on the bit for 20 sec. This turned out to not be that easy. L. walked over to him and made him stand by standing next to me, showing that it is a respect issue... He knows he can fool me. So I really tried not to be the fool. He huffed, and puffed, and cantered on the spot, but in the end he stood still. Funny horse as he is, Odin has the look of of, 'oh, OK, I can do that. I just wanted to see if I could get you to give up'.

Tuesday, it turned out that along with a little positive reinforcement, this really helped me to have him respect me on the ground too. Nice. My lesson was not so good, I was very tried, but we worked on more bend, suppleness etc.

This morning I had a really great lesson. Along with everything else, L. made me constantly think of my own balance, and not leaning on the reins, and keeping a steady (elastic) connection. Still pretty hard, but we had our moments. Of course, when I get my seat and hands independent and stay in my own balance, Odin is more balanced too, and our transitions are really so much better.
In the end of the lesson we did some canter three loop serpentines with trot transitions in the middle, a very useful exercise. And I think it went pretty well :)