Prescription: Wet saddle blankets

One of my favorite instructors came out to teach me on Hampton today. It was exactly what we both needed. I felt it was the right time to start lessons since the horse has the basics down (whoa, go, steer) and we have been trotting around on light contact, nose out, mostly straight lines. Horse has been happy doing so. Oh but now the program has changed. It's time to start riding him like a big boy (she said Hampton was a "tall drink of water" - referring to his height. heh heh). So she had me start to flex and bend him around my leg and ask him to be round and soft. We are to start a more intensive lunging program in side reins. I had starting him in side reins, but noticed that his walk got lateral when I used them so I quit. My instructor said that this is most likely due to the fact that he is not flexible yet, and it should correct itself over time. With the increased pressure, Hampton started to get somewhat naughty. He wanted to balk a little in his favorite corner, as well as lean on my inside leg. This got him numerous corrections. One canter transition request was answered with a HUGE buck. Yeah for me for not even losing my stirrup. (however, I did yelp "oh shit!") Next time I WILL be wearing my full seat breaches however! BAD pony! However, overall he was good for suddenly having his world rocked. I am sure he thought I had taken a crazy pill. At the end of the session, I asked him to leg yield right at the walk and over he went! yahoo!! both of us were exhausted and sweaty. My homework is more wet saddle blankets - and to start asking more of him. She said he was physically capable and that this teenage attitude was quite normal. She also said that he shows a lot of promise - especially in the trot, which will be easy to develop cadence out of. His canter will take some development for a nice, uphill transition but  that will come. I really don't know if people realize how much it takes to ride a young horse up through these stages - especially those who never ride anything but trained and upper level horses.
Tomorrow will be an easy lunge session for the poneh, and Friday he gets his shots. So he will get the weekend off - unless I feel like taking a trail ride or something on Saturday. Monday it's back to work. I am pooped. Not worried about sleeping well tonight. Good grief.