Validated!

 Oh what a super pony!!

 

Gosh I needed that. We had a lesson today with Jacel and Laura. Jacel had originally told me to bring Lyric but then Laura said she wanted to jump big, so.. I brought Funny instead. Which, was a good choice because Funny and I needed to do that. 

I got there a little bit early and got on and warmed up. She was a bit quick but settled quite nicely actually and we got some nice trot work warming up. But.. then she felt kind of lame. I asked Jacel "Is my horse lame?" and she said "Yes!". Wait... NO!!!! So I picked the trot back up and she watched again and wasn't sure. We went the other way and she was sound and then cantered both ways and she was sound, and sound when she came back down to the trot. So... who knows? I only felt it one more time when she was doing an extended trot (not me asking, just she got carried away). But then once I slowed her down and let her balance back on her hind end, she was sound again. And she felt really good today. Like... she felt very happy to sit back on her hind end and she wasn't fussy. (Well, she was fussy.. but her usual fussiness about not always wanting ot go forward unless I let her catapult into forward when we start from the standstill). She was willing and game and she ended up jumping beautifully! So... I just kept riding and feeling her out. I don't know if she was just a little sore from the cavaletti clinic? If it was rein lameness? If her shoe is bothering her just a tiny bit as it's looked like it's slipped a tiny bit. Or if her stifles are bothering her? Or she just needs to be adjusted as she's way overdue? 

Anyways... we started with a trot over a cavaletti to a small vertical to another small cavaletti, and then it got raised to two small verticals. And Funny was mad about the trot, but then she settled. Jacel told me that my veins were popping and to stop holding so hard! Unclench my jaw! Jeepers, maybe I was tight. I didn't think I was holding that hard with my arms but maybe I was. I tried to be softer and rode her barrel and it got better. 

So then we went to the middle of the arena where there were three oxers set up. Jacel made the middle one a "low" wide oxer. (Ha.. it wasn't that low) and then the other two were ascending oxers. She had us come down the middle one, then turn and come back over the other one on a slight diagonal line, and then roll back and do the other side on another slight diagonal line. 

And Funny was amazing! The jumps got higher and she just kept getting better and better. I was riding well too. Mostly. I was staying soft in my elbows and giving and used my body and core and legs to rebalance her back onto her hind end and then leg yielding to help slow her down coming into the fence. Early on I had a lovely nice turn where I rode her into my outside rein and balanced but then I let her get a bit longer each stride as we approached the fence and she got in super tight. Jacel told me that I let her build. And I can't because we run past our distance then. So I said I needed to sing, so I started singing "Lovely Rita" in my head and it worked! We had some really nice jumps after that. She just felt so balanced and on her hind end and was pinging happily over the big fences. And our turns before and after were balanced. And I could ride her barrel and she softened and then if I needed to half halt I could. Ahhhhhh!!!

So yeah... we needed that. I did ask Jacel after about whether I needed to be less accomodating or if I was going to create problems by that. She politely and respectfully suggested that it may have been too much for Funny. She likened her to a bomb. Ha ha... Basically I was compressing and shortening probably too much with no outlet. I just kept smooshing it up and that made Funny go... tick... tick... tick... and then I was waiting for the boom! She said that Funny probably has a bit of autism, like her son. Since she's been home schooling, she's noticed that her son gets so frustrated when he sits too long and gets worked up and in his head and starts to cry and can't think and focus. So she sends him outside to play for 10 minutes and once he moves his body and gets out of his head.. he comes back and finds the answer to his problem really easily. She suggested that while I probably do need to insist that Funny is reasonable and slows her roll and sits... maybe in increments. And then let her do something big and bold and forward thinking again. So she doesn't go boom. 

I decided that while the clinic wasn't great for Funny and I (It was great for Lyric though!) for specific reasons, there was some good that came out of it. It did get slightly better at the end, regardless of whether I liked the method or not. Funny didn't hold a grudge and came out very soft and willing to play today. And, it made me realize that I'm still thinking of Funny as the old Funny. I mentioned that it's hard to reward her try because her try feels combative and angry. But.. it really doesn't anymore. It used to. And she's dramatic with her "noise". But she's really actually trying. And it's hard for her, so it doesn't come as easily. But I don't want that. I don't want her to just submit and do what I say. I mean... kind of. Ha. I want her to offer it to me. Not because she has no choice or has decided it's just easier to give in. I want her to offer it up because it feels good and she enjoys it. So... that was a good reminder. 

She did get lots of good girls and pats today and I was also more accomodating, but within reason. And she was more accomodating and going well off my leg and seat aids. So YAY!!!

Goodest pony!