Oh Fu Fu... you were a DRAGON today!
We had a lesson with Jacel. I didn't get to hack before hand because she was early, and I was on time. So we headed up to the arena and chatted while I warmed up. She warmed up nicely at the trot and was quick and forward but not too quick. I did manage to get a little bit of inside leg to outside rein.
We started with canter ground poles. We trotted through them and Funny was perfect. So then we cantered them and she was great the first time through. The second time through she hit them wrong and totally did the llama impersonation! It was very awkward to ride! Ha ha.. Boing Boing Boing! So then we tried again with me creating a bit more of an organized canter.
Then we moved on to small verticals with placing poles. We trotted it the first time and then cantered it. And then it started unravelling. Funny was excited and brave and bold... all good things. BUT... she was not giving me ANY bit of notice. She knew we were jumping and she knew which jump so she picked up the canter, on her own, cantered to the jump, at a fast rate, got in a funky distance, jumped anyways, and then cantered off, too fast! But see, Funny, this is how we get hurt! You've got to learn to use your body. So we practiced some half halts and organization of the canter. At the moment, I need to help educate her on how to better use her body, so.. I'm helping. Except when she ignores me, she punishes herself. And she blew me off one time and she smashed through the fence. Luckily, they are small, and not solid, so... we just crashed through. She didn't even really care. BUT... she is smart so she did listen to me the next time through. But man alive, she's tough. She really doesn't want to give up any control. I was having to half halt every stride and even then she was ignoring me a good bit. Or she was doing just enough to get me to not get after her any further. So then we added a second jump with a halt in between. It was a large circle.. not a dramatic jump, land, slam on the breaks thing. That helped, but it is still a work in progress. And then she started to spiral. She just got so mad and started throwing body parts around... fishtailing, flinging her head, throwing shoulders... Girlfriend!! Jacel laughed and was like "Jeez Holly, she is TOUGH!". Yes ma'am... she is! But she's also smart and despite my comments that she was fighting me hard the whole ride, which she was, she was also giving in a little bit and she did learn some things today. One time she listened to a half halt and rocked back and then sort of panicked and jumped the added stride vs cantering it, but then jumped the jump. And a few times she rocked back and we had nice jumps and nice form. And we finished with a very polite trot over the gate and landed in a nice canter and then continued to canter around and we got a lovely soft jump from the correct spot and landed in a nice balanced canter.
We headed back to the trailer and Kelli had finished her ride so we went on a super short hack. Funny was super, as usual. Although she was a bit jumpy. Kelli mentioned it and I said something about her being off the regumate and she was like "that's why". Except... I distinctly remember about a month or so ago, saying that it was funny to me that Funny was so spooky, given how cocky and brave she is, while Lyric, who is unconfident and a chicken, isn't spooky. And both of them were on regumate then. BUT.. it did get me thinking... perhaps I should put her back on it. Yes... she's always feral, but she may have been a bit more feral since taking her off it! Of course it could be the weather, although today was downright hot! So I don't know. I'll probably order more and put her back on it.
I do love her though. And I love her spirit. I just hope I can convince her to let me have a little bit of say... to let me be a part of the team.
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