First Solo Ride!!!!

Flash has been super fiery and fidgety lately, even though I have been working with him about 3 times a week. (going for walks, ground work, lunging, etc). He's growing up (will be 3 this spring) and has lots of energy that he doesn't know how to manage. So I decided he was ready for a bigger job. It was time to step up our training program and start making bigger steps towards riding on our own.
And tonight was the night and it was good. Really good. Flash rocks. And Russ rocks too.
I started with  a nice quite lunge session to help Flash get settled. Then I climbed on board and we started with Russ leading us. Then Russ took off the lead rope and Flash followed while I steered  him in the direction he was already going. (With my ground driving lessons, I have started using a full cheek with keys per Erin's recommendation to help encourage softening on the bit). Flash was pretty good with the steering and walking around with Russ's lead and then Russ stepped away and I guided Flash the other direction. He was a tiny bit reluctant at first to leave his leader but it did not take but a fe steps before we were riding completely on our own! We made several laps around half the arena then started bending in and around jumps. Such a quick learner, too.
Russ put down a few ground poles and we walked over those too for something different. Then we did some walk whoa transitions and then decided to kick up to a trot. Wee! He popped right into his big swingy trot and bee bopped around at a nice consistent rhythm. Such a good boy! He was totally relaxed trotting around but the steering did become a little more challenging. Going straight down the arena long side proved to be difficult (he wanted to drift to the inside) but that is all details to work out later. The pure and simple point of tonight was nice calm ride and that it was. He did have one tiny moment of startlement where he sat down and launched into 2 canter steps away from the "scary end" of the arena but it was so minor and so easily managed. I sat down and spoke calmly to him and slowed my motion he responded instantly and promptly settled back into a trot then a walk. GOOD BOY!!! So back to trotting and he was right back to relaxed and trotting around. I started to fret a bit about his crookedness down the long side but Russ reminded me that he knows nothing about carrying a rider in the saddle. All those leg pressure cues and striaghtness things will come in time. End on a good note... so we did. Nice quite halt and dismount and tons and tons more praise. Such a good boy!!