SOOOOO much fun!!

Ahhhhhhhhh..... Life is good. This oppressive heat is over. My house went from 84 degrees to 64 degrees in about 24 hours. I slept amazing under all my covers with the windows open. I actually felt like I could have slept for a whole day longer, but.. that's okay. I actually slept well last night and didn't get up 8 times or toss and turn. And the fact that I'm not sweating and having sweat literally drip down my back into my crack and between my boobs is the most amazing feeling in the world!!! Dry underwear and bra!!!! It's like.. the best!! But I digress.. can you tell I'm soooooo over Summer. ... where was I going with this... ??? Oh... so anyways, Dan and I had a lesson with Kelly today and despite his winter coat coming in and making him oh so gorgeous, the weather was cooperative so we didn't die. 

It was almost chilly out!!! And we had the best lesson. He was super forward and responsive to my aids after a little warm up. We started over some lower fences and just saw what we had. Kelly said that she was pleased but she wanted me to be a bit bossier.. okay, a LOT bossier, in the beginning. So she wanted me to "Dab" excessively in the beginning so that it reiterated the plan to Dan and that it didn't have to get ugly in the show arena. In other words... warm him up with the high volume aids to keep his body from drifting right.... place my right hand at the withers and push left.. open my left rein, close my right leg and right thigh and think about making him go left in the air. Not on landing, and not on takeoff, but in the air. At least for the first few small fences. THEN... if that was good.. I could go back to being soft. The thought is that if I do that in warm up... he'll realize I mean business and then in the arena, I can ride soft and effectively and it will be a pretty ride. :) And that's pretty much how it worked! I was then able to be soft and ask politely and he responded politely! It was great. The only thing that happened is that a few times, he was a hair bit behind my leg and/or we just didn't get good striding, so I jumped up his neck. Kelly told me to get in 2 point or a light 3 point until I got to the line. Then when I was straight, to sit in a light three point or heavier 3 point and that way I wouldn't be likely to jump up his neck. It did help a lot!!  And I just sort of hunkered down in the saddle, which meant that I was much prettier in my position and my balance was much more centered and with him. It also kept my hands lower (well, that and thinking of adjusting his withers). So yeah!!! She even raised the fences to solid novice if not low training and I only panicked on one and it was a subtle panic that we rode through just fine. Yay!!

And.. while that is the mechanics of the ride.... there was magic in todays ride. It just felt.... like we were clicking. Like Dan suddenly understood his job and I stayed out of his way and we were able to be awesome together!! He was back to attacking the fences but not in a downhill way... he felt like he was jumping from the base and basculing and using his knees and it felt amazing!!!! And Kelly said he was jumping so much nicer and properly, so we're going to go with that. :) He was cracking me up to because he was being a little dramatic today. Like... he was grunting and whuffling some today in response to things. Not in a whiny way or even a complaining way. Just... a dramatic way. And a few times when I closed my leg he Zoomed!!! Not just a nice surge forward, it was a dramatic zoom!! But in a good way. :) I don't know.. it just ... the whole ride made me giggle! It felt so good and so nice and so fun. :) :) :) :)  You can't beat that!