A Light Bulb Moment...or?

Milo was absolutely fabulous yesterday. We worked in the indoor arena just to change things up a little, and while there was only one lesson going it it still provided enough room to work in the arena. I took some time just warming him up at a walk and jog, and a loose extended trot and he was feeling really good, if maybe just a bit lazy, but he did get a good mental and physical workout the day before.

I worked more on our transitions yesterday, or actually didnt need to work much on them. Milo was so responsive and softly moving into the transition using his hind end to propel forward or down, maintaining a balanced gait and really coming up under the saddle. In using Al Dunning's lead departure technique as described in yesterday's post I got some fantastic lope departures too, and Milo stayed very round and supple through the upward and downward transitions. It was fantastic to ride, and Milo seemed quite content in his work, and pleased to be making Mom so happy.

So what Im wondering is what actually triggered these great transitions? Did Milo just finally have a light bulb moment? Was I asking any differently? I have been trying to show him how to figure out how to position his body on his own to get a good transition and not by me putting his body where it is supposed to be. I think that has probably helped a lot, he is actually using self-carriage. And thirdly, I think that the arena footing may have been a factor. The indoor arena is much more level and less deep than the outdoor, so Milo could have been able to pick up good transitions because he isnt laboring so much in the footing. Either way, Im just happy he seems to have figured out what Mom is asking :)