A Day in the Park

Wendy and Bingo were able to join Walker and me riding across the street from the barn in Independence Park. I think I am getting a bit more used to the heat now, it does not seem to bother me as much. There was a soft breeze coming from the coast which always helps. 
The sky today was much cleaner, a left over of two days of rain we desperately needed. The footing in the park was wonderful. Soft, but not too soft, and the grass had already grown substantially, so we hardly needed treats, the grass itself was a wonderful treat. 
Wendy and I meandered on the other side of a stand of trees that separate the field south of the barn into two sections. Ordinarily, Walker would not feel really confidant in this area, but with Bingo there, it was not an issue. 
We both did a very simple exercise, just asking for the inside hind leg to come up underneath them as they moved at the trot and walk. Walker was so left brained, he gave me a tiny little sugar footed trot, which I sat and flowed with. It was easier for him to do this clockwise than counterclockwise, which somehow must be connected to his hesitancy about the left lead, and I think it has something to do with him falling onto his inside shoulder, something we will need to play with more. 
He gave me a very nice clockwise circle, walk trot and canter, with Wendy and Bingo in the middle acting like a barrel, a guide for our circle. Then is was Wendy's turn with Bingo. I helped her feel when to ask for the inside leg to move under Bingo, and he gave her the loveliest trot followed by an equally nice canter. He did not speed up like he normally does, probably for two reasons: 
One, he had something to really think about, which is always good for a left brained horse. Two, it's hard to run off when one hind leg has to move inside the other. It made him really use his hind legs, so that when Wendy asked for him to stop with just her seat, it was easier for him to do so not falling onto his forehand (front feet).
That put a big grin on Wendy's face! And Bingo blew and blew and blew, lots of relaxation. 
Then it was Walker's turn again, this time to do the dreaded left lead. It took four or five tries to get it the first time,  but once he got it, I allowed him to canter for about a circle and a half until he relaxed a bit, then we quit again. 
Now Wendy's turn with Bingo's tougher side, the right lead. After two or three circles playing with the inside hind moving under him again, she asked for the right lead and got it right away, twice in a row. And the canter was very relaxed, smooth and calm, no crazy Bingo today!
Now it was Walker's turn again to pick up the left lead, which he did on the first try this time! Walker and Bingo cantered together, with Wendy and Bingo behind us and two wonderful things happened. Walker was not the least bit bothered that first, he was in the left lead, and second, Bingo was behind him with the energy he brings. And Bingo matched Walker's speed, which is always slower than Bingo's, which meant he had to put his energy up instead of out, giving Wendy a big collected canter, again no craziness. Wendy and I both knew, this was the perfect time to quit, so we stopped and allowed both of them to eat the fresh grass. Then we chatted about how much fun it was to have our horses respond to our requests so willingly today.
All this inside 40 minutes. 
Sarah came up with Tessa about this time and Wendy and I were both sorry we could not have stayed out longer, but we were both expected back at home. I had the steaks for dinner in the barn office refridgerator. I let Sarah know how much I was enjoying playing with Walker on the circle, as she was the one who had shown me the exercise with the inside hind leg and how much better horses can track on a circle if they can do this. 
Then we moseyed back to the barn, retrieved Mav from the turnout and put the three horses to bed in their stalls where they were all happily munching on hay when I left for home. 
It was a really good feeling to know how happy our horses were to play with us today, how relaxed they were and how successfully they were able to what we asked. I am pretty sure I had a grin on my face the entire drive back to the house.