In my First Level test the judge saw “uneven” steps again during my last trot lengthening. He was really pushing and I felt he enjoyed it. So my question is — Is “uneven” a lameness or a balance thing or a “too fast” thing or what??
BILL–The “uneven” comment probably does not imply a lameness or it would have shown up in other places in the test as well. More likely it is related to incomplete throughness which can mean being too much against one rein or somehow out of balance. Letting or making him go too fast would contribute to that. He needs to become more pliable all the way through his entire top line to your hand and he needs to be stronger in his hindquarters to project energy upward towards self-carriage. This is all pretty easy to say but takes a good long while to come to fruition.