The canter.

If only Roanie were this uphill.....

Words cannot describe Roanie's horrendously unbalanced canter. I've never ridden a giraffe, but I imagine they canter better than my mare. In fact, I do believe that Roanie holds her head higher than a giraffe while she's cantering...... Or, if you aren't familiar with how a giraffe frolics about the plains, the video below also accurately describes what it feels like riding the canter. Just put a saddle on that washing machine and you've got a tremendously accurate representation of Roanie (especially when things start to fall apart.)

Ok, ok, I know I'm being mean, but in all seriousness the canter gets better every day. Asking her to constantly keep her rear end underneath herself has made a world of difference. Trot sets in the field and jumping grids on a regular basis have done a lot to strengthen her topline and make the canter more fluid and rideable. It's a work in progress, and it's painful, awkward, and uncomfortable to ride but when everything finally clicks and comes together it's a lovely feeling that keeps me enthusiastic for what's to come.