. The good news is I could see in her face that she was unhappy for those first two canter strides, and the bucks were not just playful exuberance. I stopped her after a couple of bucks and went back to walking the full arena. She relaxed again right away and I felt that I could have asked for trot and she would have complied willingly. I didn't ask, though. I should have known better than to ask for canter again so soon, but I wanted to see if the Previcox was making any difference. My conclusion is twofold. 1.) If the Previcox is working, the canter issue is definitely psychological. She may be afraid of canter like she's afraid of the whip because she associates it with pain, or 2.) the Previcox isn't working and she still feels pain (and fear because of pain) in canter....
So I will continue the slow hill work every other day with an occasional day of the walking lunge routine in the arena, with a little trot but NO canter. Whether pain or psychological, I need to NOT worry her with canter for a long time. I wish I knew how long, if ever.
I really don't have the gumption anymore to keep two horses going but for as long as Emma is still an experiment, I will keep working Rocky. It's gonna be a long hot summer.
We only worked 30 min but I was drenched in sweat anyways, and even Rudy was getting a little sweaty. I think I am finally coming out of my lazy, wimpy funk--perhaps it's the forced morning walks that are re-energizing me. I acquired a new pound hound who is a ball of energy (and still less than a year old) so I have to walk her and the other dogs every morning in order to keep her from going nuts. Hence the "forced" morning walks. Honestly, I would prefer to sleep in until 7 or even 7:30, but by 6:30 they are all anxious to get moving. 
Anyways, after my quick ride I had to rush off and teach dog 4H, so more fun in the sun. The kids were whining about the heat so I had to be extra energetic in order to get them moving and focused. I think being a 4H volunteer is great for keeping one young and active.
) Here's a thought about 'trust' that quite a few people on the forum have mentioned (not just about Emma but others too). How's come a confident competent pro can get on a difficult horse for the first time and be able to get through to it? How's come the horse trusts the new rider? For that reason, I don't put a whole lot of stock in trust making horses improve. Horses have this uncanny ability to know if a rider is afraid and if the rider will back down. Emma has learned now that bucking on the lunge will result in you stopping .
I did it at one time, but in retrospect, I can say it wasn't worth the effort. It was harder on the poor horses than it was on me. I think I must have done it out of sheer cussedness. It has taken decades, but I have finally matured to the point of giving my horses the summer completely off. It has been an attitude adjustment. I wish I would have adjusted my attitude about riding years ago. 
and my excuse is that I need time to adjust to the summer routine. I did chores in the morning and then read all afternoon. I move slowly in this heat so chores take a lot longer. I groom carefully in the heat because the horses seem to appreciate being clean. I think the bugs and flies are less bothersome if the horses are clean. Anyway', it takes all morning and by noon I am soaked through and ready to go inside. July inches forward...
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