sleeping rough

So I've been busy, what's new? This is what's left of my bedroom (sigh) and we're back to builders rubble, dust and short tempers (his not mine). This afternoon was a haven of tranquility (in my head at least if not in reality; think loud banging and floorboards flying) as I escaped to the yard and got my daily dose of nedfers.

Moralejo is progressing really well, still walking him (got to get my 'soft' bits banished) but today was a school day. We started off in-hand and he's responding well to the lead rope being around the outside of his neck (makes it easy to keep him straighter in the neck) and his shoulder-in is brilliant using this method; you just can't overdo the neck bend.
 I notice every time when we start off he is tight in his neck (about the third/fourth vertebrae back from the poll area), just holding a little and if I walk alongside I can just gently massage the area and then he seems to swallow and take his head down into a stretch.
 On the left rein he is slightly quarters-in when left to his own devices, again I've found it really helps to walk alongside (a bit further back for this) and gently 'nudge' his quarters as his inside hind is off the ground.
We are also incorporating some pole work (I have formed a pyramid from six trotting poles) and he has to really make an effort and step up and over; we do this in walk and trot and it's a BIG help. I remember doing an equine massage course many years ago and the teacher used railway sleepers to do the same thing, excellent for working the quarters.
The canter transition is coming on, I'll write more on that next time and some further 'chat' on bitless.