Worth it!

  Funny hasn't been ridden since the horse show. She got Monday off because I worked and then Tuesday I had planned to just do a nice easy hack but she had twisted her shoe and stepped on a clip so I had to pull the shoe. So I decided she could have the day off anyways. Then the farrier said he would come Thursday afternoon but then Thursday morning she had twisted her hind shoe and stepped on the clip too! Dangit. So now she's missing two shoes. So... I didn't ride her Thursday either. The farrier ended up coming at 6 pm and we decided to just go ahead and do everyone a week early since Funny was missing two shoes and Dan ended up missing two shoes also (and I only found one of his) and I was hoping that Lyric would keep her shoes on since I'm horse showing her... so we just did them all. But by then it was 8 pm. 

 

So today I got home from work at 6ish.... and Mike is in the mountains with the motorcycle. It's been a hot sweaty day. Like... yesterday and today were the first real days of Summer. Which, quite frankly, I'm so grateful that it's taken until now to get there! I had to plant a few plants that a client had given me. Lemon mint! And then I went inside and had something to eat and drink. And then I decided I would go feed horses. I was tempted to ride but... so hot and icky. After I fed them I went back inside and chilled for a little bit but then.. I decide... I should go ride! It's going to be miserable tomorrow morning with the humidity too. And I'm showing Lyric in Aiken so I don't know if I'll get to ride anyone Sunday. And granted, I have next week off but... the weather looks rainy and Thursday through Sunday I'll be in the mountains with Dan so.. no one will get ridden but him. So I sucked it up and put on breeches and headed out to grab Funny. 

 

She was already sweating. I know girl, me too... me too. I did a quick brush down and tacked up. We walked up to the arena and did a long side of pillar work each way, then our thoracic sling work with turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches, focusing more of shifting her weight back and using herself than the perfect feet movements. She did great. She really understands stepping out and around. So then I got on. We did a good bit of walk work... I played with leg yields, shoulder ins, and even half pass at the walk. She's getting the hang of it. She's almost too reactive though. Our leg yields get so steep. Then we trotted and she almost immediately started to get stupid. She went to throw a fit and I caught it so early and growled at her and spun her in circles. I threatened to whomp her upside the head if she went to rear and... she thought twice about it and then aquiesced. I had to laugh at her. Bring it baby girl, bring it! I'm feeling feisty! But, I'm glad she only threatened and then changed her mind. I'm really beginning to wonder if some of her tantrums aren't just behavioral? Although, I do really think they started as behavioral (hard work) and then progressed to pain. But I suspect now that it's more behavioral. At least I hope so. She seems MUCH happier overall. I think the hormones have settled and then I think her presumed ulcers are much improved because she's back to eating well again. And I'm sure her stifles are happy after the PRP. But anyways... she didn't have any more super naughty moments so yay! 

We played with the trot and did our ten meter circles when she got quick. And it took a few circles sometimes. But overall, I do think she felt more willing to sit and slow and I also think she spent more time sitting and slower than usual. We got some nice work and I let her walk. Then I decided that I would try a walk to canter transition to help strengthen. And we started on the right lead. It wasn't beautiful but we got it! Or pretty darn close. She was quick and pullng me down in the canter so I tried very hard to sit up and tall and be strong in my core and sit in my seat and we got a decent canter. Then we went back to trot and I tried a little baby lengthen across the diagonal. Which wasn't too shabby, but... the coming back to "working trot" was definitely NOT good. ha ha. I don't know that we have a working trot really. We tend to stay in extended trot. ha ha. But then we walked and went back to lateral work. Then I tried the left lead canter from a walk and that was a bit worse. But we did it. I even did a shallow canter serpentine and she held her lead! We tried it the other way too and she swapped on me but we played with a few times and got it. Then back to trotting. And she got quick again so then I tried some shoulder in. And... holy cow.. she's actually pretty good at it! I can't sit it yet though... I tried to sit it and she started to crowhop. So I went to posting and she was good. I'm actually quite impressed with how nice to shoulder in is. I giggled and told her that she might be ready for our bronze medal attempt before Dan is! Ha. Except she is NOT submissive or sitting enough. But I was pretty proud of her. 

We played a bit longer and then even tried some haunches in at the walk. She was good haunches right but haunches left took some brain power to figure out. Once she got it, she was good. I tried a teeny half pass at the trot but that was not very successful. Ha ha. Of course not. She's five! BUT... I do think it was not a bad thought to try throwing some harder stuff at her. She wants the challenge and honestly I think she enjoyed it. And it helped her more mover correctly too. At least I think.

 

So yeah... we got a really nice trot at the end and then we quit! We were both hot and sweaty and gross and it was getting dark. She parked at the gate and didn't wiggle tonight either! And she closed it herself. And then we wandered back down in the field to the gate. We met the deer that was napping by the hay feeder when we rode down at the roundpen. But he jumped out of the fence and was in the lane for a bit before he left. Funny got lots of cookies and a rinse and then she got to go back out for the night. 

I'm so proud of her. That was maybe one of our better rides, especially lately. I'm so glad I did it. I was tempted not to. But I'm almost always am glad I did when I can't quite decide if I really want to or not. And we were serenaded by the frogs, crickets, fireflies, and crows. Now to decide if I try to ride her again in the morning, or if I ride Dan... (missing a hind shoe because depsite the farrier literally putting it on 24 hours ago, it was off!). Or neither and just pack and get to Full Gallop.