Progression Plan - March Update

I made a progression plan in December to try and keep up the forward progress we were making. I'm finding that this is a great tool to keep my rides focused so I'm going to give regular updates on where we're falling on the list from month to month:

Legend:
Grey - achieved previously
Green - achieved last month
Yellow - working on currently

Definitions:
Good = relaxed + rounded topline + even rhythm + slow tempo (not overly slow, but not running) + correct bend in neck and body + acceptance of bit (eventually this definition will expand to include more, but this is what it means right now)
Consistently = means the movement is confirmed enough that we can achieve it every ride, even when it's a "bad" day, it doesn't have to happen on the first attempt though 

• Good walk work - achieved in 2015
• One good 10-15m trot circle - achieved in late 2015
• One good 20m trot circle - achieved in spring/summer 2016
• Consistently (every ride) able to get one good 10-15m trot circle - achieved in December 2016
• Consistently able to get one good 20m trot circle - achieved in December 2016
• Multiple good 20m trot circles - achieved December 2016
• Consistently able to get multiple good 10-15m trot circles - achieved December 2016
• Good trot circles with good walk-trot and trot-walk transitions - achieved December 2016
• Consistently able to get multiple good 20m trot circles - achieved January 2017
• Consistently able to get good trot circles with good walk-trot/trot-walk transitions - achieved January 2017
• Good Walk/Trot test patterns (circles, large arena, diagonals, transitions, direction changes, etc) - achieved February 2017
• Consistently good Walk/Trot test patterns - achieved March 2017
• Good stretchy trot circle - achieved January 2017
• Consistently good stretchy trot circle with transitions in/out - working on it, this is mostly on me because I don't want to give up all my rein on tense days
• Good trot circle with a few strides of lengthen/added impulsion - achieved January 2017
• Consistently good transitions within trot - working on it, when it's good it's really good, but still has tendency to race and counter-bend some days. 
• Good canter circle - achieved February 2017
• Consistently good canter circle - working on it, we've been doing a lot more cantering but I still don't canter every ride. 
• Good trot-canter/canter-trot transitions - working on it, still has a ways to go though
• Consistently good trot-canter/canter-trot transitions
• Good Training test patterns
• Consistently good Training test patterns
• Add more strides of lengthened trot - achieved February 2017
• Consistently good lengthened trot diagonals
• Good trot leg yields - achieved February 2017
• Consistently good trot leg yields
• Good canter circle with a few strides of lengthen/added impulsion
• Consistently good transitions within canter
• Good long side of lengthened canter
• Consistently good long side of lengthened canter
• Good First 1 & 2 test patterns
• Consistently good  First 1 & 2 test patterns.

There's only one green highlighted item on the list for March, but I'm still happy. It takes a lot longer to confirm a step than it does to achieve something once. Also, the "bad" days are getting fewer and farther between, which is a great thing, but it means it sometimes takes a while for me to see whether we can do something on a bad day or not (requirement to check off the "consistently..." list items). On my last ride, I test rode walk/trot patterns on my third outside ride of the year, in an absolutely insane wind, and with the neighbour's horses galloping up to the nearby fenceline. I am so proud of Kachina for keeping her mind on me and giving me such good work in those conditions. She is really turning into such a great horse and my heart swells with pride.

As always, I'm not going to rush anything because correct basics are so important. However, if I could complete all of the four yellow items in April that would be amazing.