Our dressage lesson with Cindy was good, as usual. We decided to attack the lack of true connection on the right rein. Cindy pointed out that I need to take some contact and keep the contact. No more of this flittering back and forth. Take ahold and keep it. Be soft when I can, but I need to not keep throwing him away. When tracking right, more right rein connection, soften the left rein connection to allow, and bend him around my right leg. (hmm... seems like the same hole I have with Fleck! I mentioned that and Cindy laughed and said "I didn't say it... you did"!
Thursday 3/3/16:
Today was a tight squeeze. I only had about 3 hours to get to Ashland, ride both horse, and get home. And really eat lunch too. But I managed to get it all done. I hopped on Dan first in case Peri was going to be able to meet me for the second ride and brought George and we needed to keep it quiet. We had fun. It was a bit chilly and windy and Dan was a bit rowdy but not too bad. We had two moments of going up and tossing his head but that was all he did. We started in the XC field and I wanted to take him over the ditch and through the water after Jumping Branch. I was going to do it on the way in, but then I thought it might not be smart to do it after I let him canter up the hill. Because... who am I kidding?! I was going to let him gallop up the hill. Especially today. :) So I made him trot around for a second to make sure he wasn't going to go buck wild (literally) and he didn't. So we trotted over the ditch and then trotted into the water. He marched right over and in, and then proceeded to drop his head and play in the water. :) So we carried on and went for a nice hack. He was a bit rowdy and threw in a few weak attempts at a spin and bolt but I was able to contain him easily. We did some trotting and some cantering and kept it fairly short so I had time for Fleck. On the way back in, I let him gallop up the hill. He knows what that hill means now. (I'm going to have to fix that.... ) So... He leapt into a gallop. He was so fast from the start that it was almost like his legs were flying and he couldn't get traction. Hee hee. A wee bit scary! Then he got grip and flew up the hill. It was exhilirating and a teeny bit scary! I got him back before the downhill and he was all snorty and prancy. :) My GPS said we hit 26 mph! So then we went back to the XC field. I had him trot the bigger ditch and he landed, dropped a shoulder and tried to take off. But I reined him in and made him trot it politely a second time and then let him jump the log right after. He did and maintained a polite canter on landing. We then cantered through the water and then finished with a polite canter in both directions in the field and then some polite trotting.
Not too bad baby horse, considering the weather, your fitness level, the time off you had, and... the gallop. :) Not bad at all.
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