Awesomeness!!!

 Today was a GOOD DAY!!!  A really good day. I'm sad that I only got to ride one pony but what a great ride! And the weather was glorious!!! It was cool, windy and overcast this morning... and then it warmed up nicely and slowly and the breeze stuck around. It got a little toasty but nothing compared to what it has been. Quite the beautiful day!

 

I slept in a bit because I didn't quite have enough time to ride anywhere but home and ... Dan's walk only so not as much fun in the arena, and Lyric is still barefoot and I just figured it was smarter to wait til she gets shoes on to fix those angles. I had to go do some acupuncture on a clients horse on my way to my eye appointment in Loganville, so... I did that. And then I ran to the chiropractor and stopped at the feed store. And then I had just enough time for lunch and change before it was time to leave for my lesson with Funny. 

 

We got there and tacked up and wandered to the XC field to make our way to the jump arena via the back way. We got there as Jacel was getting there so I didn't do much warm up before my lesson. I was planning to do some practicing of our half halts/stops/etc. But oh well. It didn't matter :) 

 

I told her what I had been doing and she validated me! I told her that I was worried that I was just hanging on her face and it was making her go behind the vertical and so I was riding her without any contact at the moment. She said yes... because I knew how to get a horse "on the bit" and that Funny wasn't ready for that yet. And basically... by creating a nice happy self carrying horse, who is supple in her ribcage/barrel, I'll create the "frame" that I want and she'll go onto the bit herself and seek the contact. And that's what I want! And it's what happened!! In baby steps!! It was sooooo exciting!! 

We started off at the trot and I did mention that perhaps she wasn't as fast as I thought based on my pivo video but...  So she agreed. She said she wasn't fast, but... she wasn't supple. She was stuck in her barrel, thus she was taking short choppy strides with a dropped back... which is why it felt quick. She explained that once we got her supple and lifting, her tempo wouldn't change but it wouldn't feel quick at all. And she was right! So we started doing figure 8's. She said straight lines are no good for babies because it reinforces/allows the bad body biomechanics because they get stuck. So we circled around 4 jumps making an extended figure 8. I used my seat and shoulders and chest to guide her, with my inside leg, and then an opening leading rein. Not pulling back so much as opening to the inside. She had to "follow her nose". This allowed her to bend her whole body vs shutting her down. Eventually the aids can be finessed and more subtle. And they even got better during the ride. At first it was a struggle... we fish tailed some.. we swung wide.... we didn't turn....but... within a few minutes, she was actually lifting her back, moving her barrel, stepping into the outside shoulder through her turns, stepping up and under with her inside hind. And she "slowed down". She got more balanced. She got softer and she quit chomping the bit. It was lovely. And it wasn't consistent.. because she's not strong yet. But it kept getting better and better and she kept holding it longer. Interestingly enough, today she felt stiffer tracking to the right, whereas the last few weeks if not longer, it's felt more like her left bend is stiffer. So... no big deal. Yay for changes. So a few times we would do a full circle to the right to get her to let go before we continued on. We did that for a bit, gave her a break, and did it again. 

So then we added in some trot poles. She had me trot a circle and go through the poles. I asked if I should help her and she said "If you want her to not be able to think for herself and adjust if you get it wrong or don't help her". ha ha. Okay! Point taken. So... I let her go through without much input. And she scrambled a tiny bit but corrected herself. So we kept going and she got smarter! She really is smart, so she figured it out pretty quickly. A few times she got sassy and went in too big and had to correct but the next time she was smoother and slower. We also added a smaller circle within our big circle before and/or after the poles to help get her bending through her body again. We did that both ways, with a break in between. She got so good at it! 

So after another short break we added canter. Eeeks. We started with the right lead and we trotted through the poles, then picked up the canter over the last pole, cantered most of the circle, then came back down to the trot before going into the poles. This exercise was a two-fer. :) It helped me get the correct lead by using the poles to my advantage. If I asked as she was crossing the second to last pole, it would mean that she would pick up the canter as she was stepping over the last pole with the inside hind up and thus making it easier to get the correct lead. (I think I typed that right). And then, by asking her to come back to the trot and then go through the poles, it teaches her to come down to a nice smooth easy trot vs a running fast trot, otherwise she eats it over the poles. And the poles do the work for me so I don't have to get handsy. And it was so helpful. We got a pretty decent couple of circles and our canter even got nice. She got a little fishtaily and wide the first few times but when I was able to actually sit up and down and use my body and legs, she got a lovely fancy canter! Yay! So then we tried the left lead. I mucked it all up the first few times. I asked too late... I threw my body onto her inside shoulder (WHY do I think that will work?!?). But... after a few times, I was able to stay upright, ask at the correct time and even use my outside hind leg, and she got it. We repeated that multiple times and only had one or two incorrect leads. And the canter improved in between too! She started to get a little tired so we quit while we were ahead. We had like 3 or 4 good departs in a row! Jacel laughed at me and basically reminded me that that exercise... was all about Funny. It didn't get to be about me. Just... let it go. Let it go that "I can't figure out how to ask for the canter". It doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is that I set Funny up for success, so that she can easily pick up the left lead. So that we build correct muscling and biomechanics. We are building good muscle memory. And we are strengthening that weaker side. That way... eventually, it becomes easy and she doesn't have to work so hard to counter act me. And realistically, I'll also be putting good muscle memory on myself, thus helping Funny. And after awhile... it won't be an issue and we'll just get the left lead without having to use poles. It's not cheating...it's setting her up for success. :) 

 

Awesome!! That was some of her best trot work and her best canter work. And... quite frankly, she was actually moving nice and using herself and even going on the "bit" in a very soft quiet way. And she wasn't behind the vertical. YES!!!!

We took a short cool down hack to the water complex. And baby girl was naughty and would NOT go in. She kept throwing her shoulder. Okay.. nope.. this isn't a thing. We're not making this a thing. You are going in! Because you are just being a brat. And so she did. It took a few attempts and she didn't resort to bucking or rearing. Just turning away and stopping and backing up. But we went through... and then again .. and a third time. Then she got to graze for a bit and we walked home. 

Baby girl was tired! But she was so good! I'm so proud and excited!