Hot Dan!!!!

 So... sometimes things work out just spiffy even if they aren't the original plan! 

Since Jacel had to cancel Tuesday and had mentioned thursday.... and the dressage arena's were closed from 3 pm to 9 pm for show prep, and my dressage lesson was still postponed because of the arena demolition at Rana's... I was hoping to jump. Even if it meant jumping soon before schooling at the Vista Sat. So... I didn't hear back from Jacel Wed evening... so I messaged her Thursday morning. Then I decided to take the truck to get the oil changed and the air filter and fuel filters changed because... the beach trip is coming up soon and... it was due... and I had time. So I did. And they said they could fit me in but it ended up taking 3 hours. Ugh. Oh well. In the meantime Jacel messaged back and said she couldn't teach today. Ugh. Well.. maybe I could sneak over before 3 pm and ride in the dressage arenas. But.. by the time I got home, I was starving... and I should have just gotten food on the way home but I was trying to save money and kind of craving bison tortillas and cheese dip, so... I went home. And then I couldn't help myself and chilled for a tiny bit. And then once I got moving... I got to Ashland at 2ish, and wasn't tacked up til 2:45. At that point Lucy was already in the upper arena working on it. So.. I could have ridden in the lower arena, but... I didn't know how quickly she would move over to that one. And then I contemplated flatting in the jump arena, but... then I noticed that Allison had booked it for the hour before me, so... I decided that it meant I was just supposed to put the jump saddle on and hit the trails. 

So we did. We did some trotting and cantering and hills and had fun. Then it was 3:45 and Erin was now teaching in the XC field so I knew the jump arena was open. So... we headed up there. I figured we'd see what was set up and decide what to do from there. And... it was mostly BN or novice height I think. BUT.. the grid was set up. It was a vertical to an oxer with ground poles inbetween. So that looked fun. So Dan and I hopped around a bunch of the fences and because they were low, we sliced a lot of them. It was good practice. And Dan just loped around them all. I tried Beths' alternating half halts, but... I just can't do it. I understand the theory, but it just shuts him down and he ends up doing the jerky heave ho over the fence. And then I started thinking about what Kelly Eaton had said... and how that if you get him in front of the leg and just keep your connection, as long as you're driving from behind, he'll automatically "round up". There's no need to artificially ask for/create it. At least thats what I think she said. So... we went back to riding how I'd been riding. And yes, maybe he's not as collected or pushing from behind, but.. maybe that's okay. He's not pulling rails.. we're not having major issues yet, and maybe, just maybe, he can't push as much from behind because of soundness issues. So... we'll either have to quit before we hit that point, or figure out how to do it more effectively, but at the moment.. I'm sticking with my old routine. So we jumped the grid too and he was perfect. 

I was just about done but while we were on the trails I was randomly thinking and musing. I had put on my winter boots cause it was chilly and they are very stiff in the ankles so my feet were sore in the jump stirrups. And a friend had mentioned that I was "jockey short" over fences and she loved it. So... maybe I'm too short and maybe that's partly why I keep tipping forward...  Maybe if I drop my stirrups a hole.. it'll help keep me closer to Dan and farther back in the saddle rather than farther up his neck??? Maybe not.. maybe I just need to learn how to stay back. But I figured it was worth a shot. And I did feel like I was able to open my knee a little better that way.  So while we were jumping.... when I concentrated, I could keep my seat correct, but when I got a little rattled and lost my concentration on that.. I could tell I was pinching with my knee and tipping. So not a cure, but... I certainly didn't feel stuck in the saddle either. And then I decided I wanted to see what my leg was doing, so I decided to put my phone on the rail and video us through the grid so I could see. And since I was doing that... I bumped up the grid! And then I bumped up one more vertical. I think they were 3'6". It wasn't quite prelim, but it was at least training. I think. I didn't have my measuring stick but when I measured it to my belly, and then got home and used the stick on my belly, it was midway between training and prelim. So.... ??? But Dan was awesome! We pulled the vertical once, but he did the grid beautifully and did the vertical repeatedly afterwards. Once even clean when I jumped up his neck a whole stride early. Again, I cannot make alternating half halts work, even when I thought I was using my leg enough. But anyways... he was super. And my leg... wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad. And LOOK AT HIM!!!!!!!! I'm so proud! He's so fancy and lovely! So yeah... my day worked out quite nicely! And then we took another short hack to cool off before heading home.