Dragon mode

 Today was Mike day! We had tickets to the Renassaince Festival Fall Fling. But it didn't start until 2 pm so I got to ride! It was SOOOO cold this morning though! I fed them and then went to the post office and bank hoping it would warm up a hair. And it did. Still pretty chilly but not bad. Especially in the arena. I was a bit cranky though because it's been awhile since I've ridden, I'm hormonal, and... as I was about to get on Mike called and said the chain broke on his motorcyle. So... I was worried about him. He told me to go ride and check in after and that if he couldn't figure it out, he'd have me come get him with the trailer. 

 

So... I shouldn't have been annoyed. Well, I really shouldn't have... I should have just gone and rescued him. But because of hormones, I was annoyed that my plans were being altered and that it would likely mean I wouldn't have time to ride Lyric after. And despite knowing that Mike told me to ride and enjoy, and despite taking my time and riding for longer than I meant, I was still cranky. So it wasn't a great ride. Sigh... sorry baby girl. She was a bit feral since we haven't ridden since Tuesday. And she's always a bit more feral in dressage anyways, and especially in my arena. But she wasn't awful. Just quick and leaning on me a good bit instead of soft and quiet. And chompy. And then behind the vertical. 

 

I'm struggling with the connection piece. I feel like if I throw the reins at her (like on trail rides) she's soft and happy and not chompy. If I try to hold the connection steady, she gets chompy. If I try to only soften when I need to, it's better but she's still chompy. So I'm trying to find that super soft floating of the reins to her feel but... it's hard because... she doesn't quite seek the bit yet. I feel like I'm missing a hole but I can't figure out what the hole actually is... and how to fix it. Like... is it a hole that she doesn't soften to pressure on the bit immediately... (Like the balanced through movement method relationship with connection and yielding to pressure)? Is the hole that she doesn't understand connection and seek it? Or is the hole in my head and she doesn't understand connection yet because she's still a baby and finding her balance on her own two feet? I need to have a talk with Jacel and try to figure it out. I've also been messing with it a bit in my brain and in my riding and that's not really fair to Funny because I'm changing the rules. So far, it seems like if I just focus on a soft giving hand but avoiding a loop in the reins too much, and ride the body, I get the best results. But then sometimes she gets inverted and quick and I resort to trying to get a better connection and it... seems to make it worse. So, maybe that's my answer? I just need to ride her body. But... the whole "seeking the connection" part makes me worry that I'm missing something. I don't know. 

 

But we had a good ride. We had some good moments. And by the end she was going behind the vertical, but again.. is it because she's tired and fatigued or is it because she thinks it's what I want? I'm not sure it's much better than inverted and braced... sigh. 

 

And despite it being quite chilly and breezy, she got all sweaty! Sorry girl. I really didn't mean to ride that hard or long. Luckily the sun was out and I was able to towel her and turn her out to roll and dry off on her own. She wasn't too sweaty. But, I may need to find a warm day to bathe and clip her because she is just getting sweaty when we ride no matter how cool it is!