Finding the good

 I'm not really sure how I feel about today's ride. 

I tacked Funny up as it was thundering a tiny bit and threatening but it looked like it was going to go around us. And it did. Mostly. We had a tiny bit of rain hit us. But not enough to really even get us wet. And it did help cool it down a tiny bit. Then the sun came back out. And then the clouds came back. 

 

We spent a good bit of time at the walk starting out and... she feels behind my leg suddenly. Like... I kind of had wished I had a crop. Or spurs. I had to "shock and awe" her a time or two. Which... was a lot worrisome. First of all... who are you? Are you sick? And second of all... am I about to get launched? Will there be payback? But there wasn't. And she's fine. So I'm not really sure what's going on here. But we managed to finally get a nice smooth walk that was forward and soft. Then the trot wasn't kind of sticky too. But also kind of quick at times. It was just a wierd ride. I couldn't quite figure out what the issue was. Sometimes it was that she was crooked. So I just kept at it and we finally got some nice trot. And then we cantered and again, the first two canters were not great. She was running away with me essentially. But then I managed to get my body situated and she settled. And I did try to give her some "brain breaks" today and let her process when things were good. So maybe that helped. 

 

Because eventually we got some really nice work in. Like... quite nice. Granted it took me halting her from the canter a few times. Which I hate to do. But I got so aggravated that she was running away with me and ignoring my aids. Sigh.. ugh. But we did get a nice canter after that, and then some nice downwards into nice trots. 

 

So yeah.. I have no idea. I don't know if it's just tension because I suck... tension because she's just anxious about work. Or it's not actually tension and just imbalance? I don't know. I don't know why I've been struggling so much lately with her. But she got some good girls, some pats, some rests and time to process, and of course cookies!

Bareback shoe searching

 I finished work early enough that I could have ridden but I had another headache and it was hot and humid. And Dan and Lyric are missing a shoe each and Patrick is was planning to come "this afternoon/evening" but I didn't know when. So I came home and sat on the couch for a bit and chilled. Eventually I felt better and decided I should go look for Dan's shoe (Lyrics is somewhere at Ashland, so... not going there). I started to walk out there but then decided it would be more productive to hop on Funny and use her as my uber. 

 

I grabbed the bareback pad, the bridle and my helmet and treats and headed out. She let me climb on via the tipped over mounting block and we headed out. She was a very good girl despite the other two not coming with us and didn't try to run or buck. Good pony! I tried to cover the entire farm but also figured we might as well get in some hill work while we were at it, so I rode up and down the hills. Patrick texted shortly after I got on and gave me a 45 minute ETA so we kept looking for a good bit. We never did find the shoe! I don't know where Dan flung it! I did trot a tiny bit because I wanted to. She was still a good girl.

 

I finally called it and hopped off and hosed her off. Then the other two meandered in because it was dinner time, so they got their 4cyte and treat and then Patrick showed up. Perfect timing. Except for the fact that it felt like I was wearing a diaper because my pants were so sweaty. Gross! 

 

But, the ponies got their shoes back on, and Funny and I got in a little work out, and after all that.. I showered. 

 

 

Aha!

 Ahhhh... liz lesson. Got me out of my mental "stuckage". I knew we were plateuing... and i knew it was okay and expected.. and I wasn't changing my riding (i don't think), but mentally it was frustrating. BUT.. liz helped today. it's straightness. And the straightness has to come before we can advance. And it's straightness through the shoulders and lift in the withers. Tracking left I overbend her in an attempt to get her barrel soft.. but ride counterflexed almost to straighten her up. Same both ways. Ride her shoulders around and almost think square turns to keep her straight. when she's straight, then she can lift and soften. And stay behind her... let it be slow. painfully slow. that's building. and she's happier when I'm not throwing her off balance with speed or my body. Make sure my head is up and on straight. post diagonally to the way she's falling to help balance her undeneath me. inside hand higher than the outside. I can ask for a bit more connection but with soft elbows that stay almost behind my back (to keep them supple and from breaking the straight line connection). 

really good pony. only one little anticipation moment... then I just changed the subject. Oh, we cantered and now we must canter again. Cool, you're right, except first... let's do the drums and once you settle, we'll go back to canter. it worked and we didn't fight. canter felt amazing! Uphill and round and lifted. for downwards think two gaits ahead to get the better one gait downward. Ie from canter, think walk to get a nice trot. if i think trot, it's too quick. sit the trot in my transitions. 

very good pony! Some nice work but it's gonna take some time. 

photos: 8-26 liz day

Fun in the Covered

 After I rode Lyric this morning and then had lunch, Mike was still in the mountains so i decided to ride Funny. But when I got back outside... in the sun.. it's soooo hot. Sooooo hot. Ugh... So I decided to take her to Ashland instead of riding at home. I figured we could use the covered arena if it wasn't any cooler there or the arena's weren't in the shade. Which means that I probably would run out of time to ride Dan, but.. I'm just over this weather. And it just felt unbearable. 

 

So we headed to Ashland and tacked up. Sadly I didn't think about hosing her off before we loaded so she was still a bit sweaty. So minimal grooming. But luckily she wasn't too bad. We hacked to the covered in the woods and had a nice warm up walk. Thankfully the bugs weren't bad! And it was nice enough in the shade. We got to the covered and while it was still hot, it was nice to be in the shade. And there was an occasional breeze. 

 

Funny was a bit flabbergasted at the horse in the mirror who was mimicking her but she wasn't scared.. just... couldn't quite figure it out. But I asked her to work and she did. We tried to get a nice walk before we went to the trot. And it took a bit but we did. She was kind of behind my leg today. Weird... But a nice change from feral and running. We got a nice walk and then did some shoulder in and haunches in utilizing the mirrors. Shoulder in tracking left is hard. SOOO Hard. But.. mostly for me. I don't know why I can't turn my shoulders left! Once I did, she could, but.. man.. that's so hard for me! Weird... 

 

We picked up the trot and got a nice trot with a little bit of work. She was a bit more chompy and fussy today but when I remembered to soften and float my hands towards her, she got softer and quieter. And not quicker today, which was nice. Mostly. We played with leg yields and shoulder in. Leg yielding right is harder too. She wan'ts to cock her head. I think it's mostly that I can't get her into the outside/right rein. But maybe I should have paid attention to my shoulders too! And she was a bit fussy/hollow overall again. But we had some good moments. And we played with the trot walk trot and had some acceptable ones. 

  

We did some canter work too. And the upward transitions are getting really nice. If I sit back and on my outside seat bone, she rocks back and loads and goes into the canter and lifts! Instead of flinging into it. Ahhh! Nice! The canters felt pretty good today and we were able to do some shallow serpentines, though the right lead is harder to hold in the counter canter serpentine part. We also played with changing across the diagonal through the trot. She got a bit bolty so we had to do that a few times but got it. I have to stay back and not fling myself forward, thus flinging her forward. 

 

We finished with some more trot and walk work and then some centerlines. She nailed her centerline and halts today! Quite square, even though it took her a bit longer than it should have to settle into the square halt. 

   

We headed back home and took the slightly long route. It was nice and peaceful. She got hosed off and wasn't that sweaty. Sweaty enough but... a bit concerning considering how much Lyric and Dan sweat. But maybe she's just fitter and since we were in the covered... She didn't feel that hot to the touch and was snacking, so... I'll keep an eye on it. She drank from the hose and made me giggle. 

3 foot and counting strides

Lesson day!! Sadly it was at 3 pm. Ugh. SOOOOO hot. Although it wasn't quite as terrible as it has been. 

 

We got to Barbara's and tacked up. Funny was feral and ready to go. It was hilarious because Smarty was dragging but Funny was bouncing!! We warmed up and then got to work. We started over some trot poles and then some canter poles. I have to ride her barrel and not her face. Almost leg yield her into the poles and then use my core and slow my post and canter and squeeze with my upper thighs to keep her slow. 

 

Then we warmed up with a one stride to a one stride, all very low jumps. Funny was still feral! She was so excited to be jumping and playing. I had to ride her shoulders around the turns by counterbending through my turn. It worked though and got her balanced. 

Then we did a course. We did a three stride diagonal line to a 4 stride diagonal line to a 5 stride down centerline. The first time through Jacel told us to just jump through and let them figure it out. So I just sat still and Funny got in tight but made the striding. The second time through I helped her a little by riding her barrel and leg yielding her a tiny bit and adding a half halt and the course was much smoother without the chips trying to fit the last stride in. Then the jumps got bigger but the questions stayed the same and the ride stayed the same. Ride her barrel, not her face. If I ride her face, she braces and fights me. If I ride her barrel, she gets soft and responds to the half halts. And when she responds to the half halts, I can ride softer and quieter, which she appreciates. Jacel set up a big oxer and as we came to it, I half halted right before and thought "oh crud.. I've just shut her down'. But nope.. she just rocked back and pinged over it like it was nothing. She was so balanced! Wheeee! We ended up finishing with a 3'3" oxer!! We had some good jumps and a few tight ones and a few not great jumps because my turns/lines sucked. But mostly good! 

 

We then reversed the course so instead of doing 3, to 4, to 5 stride lines, we now were doing 5 strides, down to 4 strides, and then down to 3 strides. Which was harder! But still doable. For whatever reason, I was struggling with her flinging her left shoulder out and falling in. So after the centerline, Jacel had me leg yield her two steps to the left, then counter bend while we turned right. And ahhhh. That kept her from falling in and totally sat her back on her haunches, balancing her. Nice!! Then I could ride her shoulder around and had a much better line to the next diagonal line. Soooo much smoother!

 

After that we went for a short little hack out in the woods. And there was a tiny little log to jump. Fun! While we hacked we joked about how Jacel had said something along the lines of "sometimes you just get in tight and  you can't make more room...." and Funny said "sure you can.. just leave out a stride!".  Ha ha. At least she finally simmered down... a tiny bit.