It is definitely an El Nino year! It has rained the last 47 days it seems! Which is great for the pastures... we've got grass galore! I need more ponies ;) Anyways, today was a big full day! My plan was to get up, enter AEC's, enter Chatt, enter Full Gallop, and then go to my lesson at 11 am. Then come home and meet Taylor to get Funny and Fleck trimmed and then take my trailer back to Athens to leave it for servicing. Except the other day Rana said she had a doctors appointment and couldn't do 11. We opted to try for 9 am. Which is great... but meant for an early morning. I actually went to bed early last night. But then Emma woke me up twice whining because she had an upset stomach. So I let her out. The second time I was so tired I just left her out there. Then I got woken up a third time with her barking at the horses and Danny pawing the gate. ARGH! So I brought her back in. All 3 times it was raining. And then when my alarm went off at 6 am this morning, it was still raining. HARD! Like POURING hard core. To the point that I was a little convinced my stalls were going to be flooded and thought perhaps I should bring the boy dogs in. Not exactly something I want to haul, tack up, and then ride in. I mean, yes, she has the covered, but... So I went back to sleep til 6:15 and then laid there for a bit. It was still raining hard. I was so torn. I was tired and sleeping so well... with the rain on the tin roof. But then I realized that if I didn't ride with Rana, I wasn't likely to have time to ride otherwise, nor was Ashland likely to be open. Then I wouldn't have my trailer tomorrow.... and I might not even have it Thursday. So I checked the radar... and it actually looked like a window when I'd be hauling and riding. And then the rain stopped. So... fine! I got up... got dressed... fed ponies.. and loaded up. Dan was pretty nasty, but I was running out of time to give him a quick rinse first. Plus it was fairly chilly still. (HA! not for long!). Oh well.. I figured it was what it was. So off we went. I got gas. And it rained a little on the way but not bad. It sprinkled while I tacked up, but that's okay. And then we were in the covered, so it was fine. However, the humidity was insane! And it got warmer. And Rana worked us hard. I sweated a big huge sweaty stomach mark and probably the same on my back. Gross!!
It was a good ride... but a little bit frustrating too. We basically worked on the canter again and getting quick hind legs. Rana basically said that his biggest issue was that he didn't get quick behind and engage, therefore the front end fell apart. He needs to stay round, all the time. He gets straight in his neck and then he immediately inverts and braces against me. And at the canter, he then props/swaps/falls out of gait/whatever. So... we worked on that. I must keep him round at all times. I must also NOT dig my inside spur into him. It happens without me noticing. So, we spent the whole lesson on getting him round and bent to the inside and maintaining a canter. But we were able to make a little bit of progress and worked on shortening the canter, then letting it open up in the stride, but not lose the roundness. It was hard. Hard work!!! My core is going to be sore I think. Tracking to the left, he kept throwing that right shoulder out and throwing his haunches in. But I was doing the same thing. So Rana had me look at her in the middle of the circle which did help bring my inside shoulder back and rotated my hips a bit better. Ohhhh!! That makes a difference. And going to the right.. heaven help that darned right leg of mine. I cannot keep my spur out of his side and every time I touch him, he props and swaps. So I have to get inside bend with my upper leg and thigh not my spur. And my seat! And we also worked on keeping him up in the canter... and up in his neck (vs diving down, even if he's still round). That was accomplished by half halting while applying leg or whip aids and keeping the bend. And by half halting/holding through my back and core.. not my hands. My hands are just an extension of my back and shoulder blades. Okay, I KNOW this, but it's a hard habit to break when I'm trying to do multiple things at once and he's hanging on me. BUT... it got better. He felt very much like he was softer in the bridle. I was even able to let go some (at least *I* thought I was letting go) and maintain self carriage.
So phew... Both Dan and I were basically dripping sweat and lathered. And basically I've got to insist... every step.. he cannot blow me off or invert or brace. He can do it. Rana had me look at my canter a bunch and showed me how nice it was getting! She said he had a good bit of 3rd level canter today so we know he can do it. She said that he even had some moments of a 4th level canter so she told me to not get frustrated and keep at it and we'd get there!
Then I got home, ate some lunch, and... entered AEC's!!!! FINALLY!!!! 4 years in the making or so?? Ha. But yay. Then I cleaned stalls, unloaded the hay we got on the way home from Rana's, and then Taylor showed up to do the non-shod crew. Then after that I pulled all my tack out of the trailer and hauled to Athens again. And you know what sucks?!?! I didn't realize until this morning but... I'm working tomorrow and have a short day... I'm finishing at 4ish... basically right across the street from Rana! Sigh.. I could have done my lesson, left Dan there... dropped my trailer off (and saved myself two trips to Athens) and then taken riding clothes tomorrow and ridden there after work... then gone back Thursday for another lesson and hopefully pick up my trailer and bring him home. Sigh. I suppose I could have still done it, but... it would have meant going back to bring his food and stuff. And then I'd worry he'd be stressed as would Funny and Fleck. And honestly, I'm not sure either of us have 3 straight days of hard dressage in a row in this heat and humidity in us! Weaklings!! ;) So... oh well. It would have been handy though. Because if I decide to ride tomorrow, it'll have to be at home because I don't have the trailer. And I'm pretty sure my arena is soupy! Especially if we get more rain. Oh well. Maybe we'll just hack the neighborhood.
Just some random photos as I don't have any lesson ones.
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