Ah, we missed it here. I really do think the other day was hormonal but also a bit heat related. I spent a good bit of this weekend staying inside and staying cool and this morning I rode again and the weather was actually quite lovely. I rode before breakfast. For me and the ponies. :) I didn't even have to get up too early.. because I was up way too late last night reading. Watchers. I LOVE that book! Anyways... when I got up and went to pull Dan out this morning... HOLY SMOKES HE STILL HAS ON HIS BEMER BOOTS!!!! Oh nooooooo! I put them on while he eats and I totally forgot. He was out all night! Thank God (literally!) they were fine, other than being a little muddy. One had slid down his foot a little bit but his legs were fine and there was no marks on him and the bemer's seemed intact. They turned on and charged fine and later they worked on him, so... phew! Thank you God!
So anyways, it was 8:30 when I got on and we had a nice breeze and it was hot, but not sweltering. I also rode in a sports bra, which helps. Dan and I walked the pasture twice, which was at least a 10 minute walk warm up. Then we did some trotting and cantering in the arena to loosen up. And fun fact.... a friend showed a video of a 3 year old quarter horse she just got that was trotting around the arena without them holding the reins but still being steered. So we tried it. It took a bit of me figuring out how to use my body and seat but... we sort of got it. We just briefly messed with it though. Then we did some lateral work and then we went to work. I didn't drill him, because I'm still not 100% sure how his tendons are feeling. But luckily he seemed to be feeling good today with no real issues. Other than that awful clicking noise I hear which I hope is not his femur and tibia smashing into each other with every stride. We did do a tiny bit of collecting the trot and then even a tiny bit of collecting the canter. We also did some canter half pass. Sigh. Those are awful! I mean... not worse than they have been.. they've just always been awful. It's more of a canter on the diagonal line than him actually bending and I cannot figure out how to make it happen. Oh well, we didn't push it today. But I did get some good canter work especially when I paid attention to my seat. The no reins worked may have helped me focus on my hips and seat a bit more. Maybe I should do that every ride warm up. ;) (Especially because after our ride I watched this amazing woman in a beatiful white gown do a most lovely dressage ride with all the tricks in just a neck rope!). Anyways, we didn't drill our walk to canter to walk transitions either but we did a few. And today was better! He felt braver and more confident in his work and was MUCH more willing to go into the bridle. He did keep chewing/grabbing the right side of the bit though. Hmmm... it's probably been about 6 months since his dental, but... ???
Anyways, it was a pretty decent ride. Not spectacular, but I don't feel quite so forlorn anymore. So we went home via Jean's driveway and then we wandered along her fenceline and Eddie's pasture and almost at the corner, I saw Juanita or Lester riding Monty down her fenceline. I waved... and was going to see if they wanted a quick hack. And then I realized...oh crap! I'm in my sports bra! Ooops! So we turned around and headed home. I'll have to apologize for coming across as rude later! Plus the ponies hadn't had breakfast and it was now 9:45!
It's been nice being able to ride at home and having the whole arena wide open and freshly drug! I'll hopefully sneak in a ride Monday maybe.. then Tuesday Kelli is supposed to come over to play with bits and ride Marvin. Then I can set up jumps. Jean's back in town Tuesday and I have a jump lesson at the house Thursday, so.. that will work. But it is super nice having the nice big arena!
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