When life gives you rain.... Dance!

So... I was a little annoyed because I knew it was supposed to pour all day today and I was also supposed to have a jump lesson with Kelly again. And it was finally a Thursday day off instead of a Friday.... which means it's a lot easier to get a Kelly lesson. But it was not to be. I went to bed exhausted last night. So tired I didn't even take benadryl, which has been a nightly thing for me the past few months. Of course I did have to take a migraine pill mid day, so that may have been part of it. Anyways, I woke up multiple times during the night, which was okay. We had the window cracked and I could hear the rain.... it was on and off allllll night long. And early this morning I woke up to Emma shaking in fear... and then two huge lightning cracks and thunder booms. So I sort of figured my lesson was a lost cause and laid in bed and sort of slept more. Sure enough... my lesson was cancelled. So... I slept in a smidge then when Mike got up, I went and fed ponies. It was raining pretty hard! I decided to let them stay in their stalls for the day because it was supposed to be heavy rains, high winds, some potential tornado watches... and it's just... wet! They had been out all night and were pretty wet already. So... as soon as I got their stalls all snuggled up and ready and got them fed... the rain stopped. Doh! I left them in and went inside and ate breakfast... and still no rain. But the radar showed a bunch. I was talking to Kelli and sort of mentioned that I should go to Ann Margaret's for a lesson since she has the indoor (because Kelli called me on her way to work) and she agreed that I should. But... I knew I had a ton of paperwork to catch up on and had stuff to do. So.. I sat at my computer and did 3 straight hours of invoicing and reports. Jeesh! I thought I was more caught up than that! And it did finally start raining again. And poured... and then drizzled... and thundered a little. And the lights flickered a bit. So I was glad the horses were in. But then... Kelli texted me and said that if I could get there around 2, I could do a lesson. And I was like ... you know... I want to ride.... I won't get to otherwise... I'm almost done with my paperwork... I'm gonna do it! So I finished my paperwork and changed clothes and grabbed Dan. It was still raining, but... you know.... It's just rain. 

We took it slow because it was just rain, but... a TON of rain. It was kind of neat seeing how high all the creeks and rivers were and how many peoples yards were flooded. And at one point, the waters had spilled over onto the road and Waze alerted me to a "flood". It was fine. So as we were almost to Ann Margarets'... the road goes kind of low and there is a flood plane along side it on both sides. It was awfully high and there was DOT there checking it out. I was actually a little worried that we wouldn't be able to pass through there on our way home if it kept raining! (Spoiler alert.. it was fine, and despite the fact that it kept raining and hard... it was lower when we went home, so.. yay!). So.... Dan was filthy!! Despite the fact that he wore a sheet last night. Like... crusted into his skin filthy. And then when I ran him into the barn, he got wet, so... I was just smearing crusties around when I tried to groom him. Oops. Oh well, I apologized for our Swamp Thing look. ;) I got on and warmed him up. He was super. We just walked a bit and did turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches and then did our noodle neck work. Then Ann Margaret got started with us. She had me start with leg yielding back and forth... left then right then left and then right. Then we worked on getting him to not fall in when circling to the left. He bends at the neck rather than through his back and falls in. So she had me think of lifting his inside shoulder, lifting my inside rein a little and riding his haunches out. But it helps if I keep my leg at the girth rather than pushing it back. We then did some trot to walk to trot gait changes.. Only one stride of trot. That would help get him to rock back on his haunches and sit more. (Yep, that is a familiar exercise and one I have forgotten to do lately). Then we did a bit more slow work to help get him sitting. Then we went to the counter canter. I showed her how the right one is so hard. After a try or two she told me to focus on sitting more onto the side of the lead I'm on, but to sit back more. I think before, whenever someone tells me to sit to the right... and put more weight into my right leg... use it as a pivot point... I end up cramming my right seat bone down and essentially locking my hip, thus blocking him. BUT... for some reason, today, when I did that AND sat back (again, continually being told to do this), it created the right hinge movement in my right hip so that I wasn't blocking him. :) And we got the counter canter. She also wants me to slow his canter down and shorten him up and rock him back. Yep... but it's easier when he can get a little flat. ;) Doh! So then we did one really nice lengthen.... then we did a little work at the half pass at the trot. I told her that I just didn't quite get the degree of bend and where each body part should be aligned. So she reminded me to keep my weight aids onto the side of the "lead"... for example, if I'm half-passing right... I need to sit on the right seat, bend him around my right leg, but move him off my left leg. And the shoulders lead. So... start with a shoulder fore, then start the half-pass. So what I had been doing.... but sinking my weight into the side seemed to help a little bit. Maybe. 

Anyways.. it was helpful. And it was super awesome to get to ride today!! It made me a much happier camper and not cranky. So I'm so grateful to God for giving me the opportunity AND keeping Fleck safe at home and keeping me and Dan safe on the roads. And while the ride wasn't perfect... Dan seems to get very ...fussy... and doesn't want to stay on the bit ... there... we had some good moments and got reminded of some good exercises. And the weight aid, with the understanding that sitting back more opens up my hips to make that work better, was super helpful. :) 

So yep..   Today... today we danced in the rain. :) Well, out of the rain I guess, but we were in the rain a lot getting to and from the barn and driving in it. :)