Cheat Ride

I deserve it.... Yes, I have a few people on the wait list... but tough! I deserve it! I still worked 10 hours today but since my first appointment (1.5 hrs away) changed from 3 horses to 1 horse, I decided to go ride. :) 


We went for a nice long conditioning hack and had fun. It was hot and humid, but not tooooo miserable. :) 

Show Day

So.... today was a super fabulous day!! Danny and I went to the Silverthorn schooling show. It was supposed to be last weekend but got rained out, so they moved it to today. And today was SUPER!! It was really quite nice. For August anyways... we had a nice breeze and the humidity wasn't too bad. So... it got hot but really wasn't too bad until about 2 pm. 

Dan and I got there and I unloaded him and brought him a bucket of water. Which he immediately flipped and dumped. Sigh... Stinker!

We did a Novice CT today and 1-2 dressage. We started with our novice dressage test. Which felt SUPER!! He felt so nice and soft and supple. :) And... it must have been nice because as we were leaving the judge leaned out of her truck and jokingly asked if I was aiming for high point for the whole entire show?? :) Hee hee.. We scored a 21.4!!! Almost all 8's, one 9, one 7.5, two 7's and one 6.5 (on the halt where his right hind went rogue!). Yahoo Danny!! Turns out we were high score (or low score I guess...) of the show.  And bonus because Mike came to watch. I felt bad as I didn't get to hang out with him too much as I was on Dan most of the time. But it was nice to have him there.

 
So then we changed saddles to go jump. I had more time than I thought, but... I didn't know that. I decided to leave the nathe bridle on because then I didn't have to change the number or his bridle and that helped me get ready quicker. I swapped saddles and headed down to the jump ring. He warmed up super for a handful of fences and then we waited a bit. Then I picked him back up again and we headed over some fences again. We took a big flyer to one but.. nothing super extreme. But then he lost his marbles!! I mean.. he went bonkers. He was bucking, rearing, spinning and bolting. I mean... head down between his toes bucking! And I had the nathe in his mouth!! I thought a few times I was going to come off. I almost went back and swapped out the bridle but it was almost my turn. I figured he was just amped up and if I could get him going on course, he would behave. I was right! :) Once he got to go and could keep going... he settled. But he tried to buck once and got a bit quick once. We ended up taking a rail on the second fence. Oh man!!! That's our first rail in competition I think. Dangit. Oh well. After that he was pretty good. We had one flyer and then I buried him at the next fence. But he got us out of it and the majority of our fences were lovely!  :) I was kind of proud. Especially because those fences looked huge! And the terrain was tough as it was a bit of a slight hill so it sort of sucked you down into the fences. So... we ended up with only the one rail and luckily... we still won!! Caroline has unicorn mug prizes... so I really wanted to win! :) YAY!    

After our jump round he was literally dripping sweat and foamy, so I had to hose him off. Then I pretty much had to tack him back up for our 1-2 test, so... I tacked him up wet. He settled and was fine but we both were a bit tired at this point. I think my ride times were 12:37, 1:19, and 2;17, so... I was pretty much on him for 3 hours. So our test was a little bit bracier and not as soft. Plus it was also a harder test, so.. you know. But still, it was quite nice. We ended up with a 70.15!!! Whoo hooo!!! 

So yep.. quite the nice day. :) 

Weather Woes

Today was interesting. I hauled to Athens for a 2:30 pm lesson with Beth because... well, it was then or never. And it was a heat index of 98. Ugh.... It didn't even feel that hot; it was just heavy out. Heavy and humid and miserable.  But we tacked up and I noticed some dark clouds and there was an occasional breeze. So it wasn't tooooo terrible. 

We had a great lesson though. We were working on my hand position and thus how I was influencing Danny's positioning.  

Tracking Left: Don't bicycle drive my horse. Keep my right elbow back at my side (Cindy's magic bullet tip from a month or so ago.. duh) to keep him straight and from overbending, but also keep it a bit down and out. Lift the inside rib cage into the outside rein and for the love of God, don't cross the neck with the left hand. Also, I sometimes need to lift that inside left hand and sometimes I need to bring it out and back towards my hip. Basically ride with wider hands

Tracking Right: Lift the inside hand. That unkinks the hose at his poll and allows his energy to flow. Also don't forget inside and outside leg as needed. 

Then we did a fun ice cream cone exercise where we rode down the long side... with inside bend but not shoulder fore... then did a 10 meter half circle and trotted over two poles on the diagonal, then changed the bend, did an s curve and went over two other poles on the diagonal and did another half ice cream cone and back to the rail (same side). With that... I had to definitely push his shoulders to the outside for the change of bend, otherwise he'd collapse. Also when tracking left I had to really sit on my left seat bone and almost think of collapsing my left obliques and lifting my right shoulder. Going the other way, I was fine. 

So halfway between that exercise we saw a bolt of lightning by the cowfields and heard the thunder. Then it started sprinkling but we kept going. Until the second lightning bolt and then we saw the wall of rain coming towards us. I mean.. it was raining already but this was a sheet of rain heading our way. We ran inside just as it started to really pour and I had to run out and roll up my windows. It was coming down!!! Like... almost hailing coming down. So... we sat in the barn aisleway for about 15 minutes and it finally slacked up. We went back out and did the trot pole exercise the other direction for a bit. 

Then we worked on walk to canter. The goal was to not throw him away. I tend to throw the reins at him. Nope.. he has to stay connected in the upwards. I used my Cindy advice of prepping during the downswing and asking during the upswing and we got most of them. And when I focused and didn't drop the connection or throw my shoulders at him, it wasn't too shabby at all. 

Then we worked on our trot lengthens. Beth suggested that I shorten him first and allow the lengthen. But don't soften the connection too much (or at all). I also had to keep the connection with the reins in the turn, like... lifting my hand or opening it and pushing him to the outside a little, and then as we came to the straight away and I asked for the lengthen.... zoom! But I had to soften slightly.. but keep the connection and keep the softness by keeping a supple connection. But we had some pretty freakin' fancy ones to the right. The left side was a little tougher. But it had to do with me having a bit harder of a time keeping the connection. 

So then we finished and I took Dan for a short hack. And it was blue skies!!! And starting to get hot and steamy again. And then as I was leaving the skies got dark and the wind picked up again. Craziness!

Great Lesson: Getting uphill

It is so nice when things start to come together and build upon other things. :) I'm sure it'll go spiraling out of control again before too long, but... we had a great ride today!

I was able to really think about sitting and lifting the withers and ribcage and getting Danny to rock back and put his hind feet underneath him instead of behind him. We had some great transitions, especially now that I've gotten better at making the down beat my prep and the up beat my act. I have to make sure my chin stays up so I don't collapse us both. But we had some really nice work today. He's feeling sooooo fancy and collected. (I'm sure it's not exactly what I think it is, but... still feels great). We also worked on the counter canter again and it helps a lot for me to think of pushing him to the outside (and then half passing at certain parts). 

Fun day!!

Late ride

Well... I worked 11.5 hours... I was hot... sweaty... mosquito bitten... but I rode. :) I came home and made dinner and ate with Mike and then rushed out to Ashland. I left the house at 7:30 and we got home at 9:30, but I got a great dressage school in and a short hack to the lake and back. 

We had a great ride!! He was forward!! So forward!! Almost too forward :) But not really. We had some really good trot lengthens too!! They felt like real powerful lengthens, not speedens. ;) 

Then we went to the lake for a little soak and walked back. We stopped on the side and there was a HUGE splash... repeatedly. I am guessing it was a beaver that was mad??? But we pretended it was Nessie. ;)

Such a good pony!

YAHOOO!! Take that brain!!

I'm getting it!! I'm getting it :) It's only taken 3 lessons (at least) with two different people, me messing around on my own, a facebook photo, and forever, but my little pea brain gets it!!! And not only do I get it, I can make my body do it too. :) :) :) YES!!!!

I understood it a little bit more each time but I think today I really got it. Beth started Dan for me and got him straight, which made it a lot easier to feel. 

She and I were talking while she was riding and she was saying that to her, he felt much straighter to the left...  HMMMMM??? But that she could see how I felt like he was falling in with his hips and flinging out with his shoulder. I also think I tend to create it somehow, so we decided to figure it out when I got on. However, she did notice that during the transitions, she felt what I felt all the time. She said during the transitions, he does fling his shoulders to the inside which flings his feet to the outside. Which is what Cindy says. However, my brain disagrees. My brain thinks it's his outside shoulders flinging out. But between my last lesson and this one, I'm understanding the difference. 

So.... what works for me and my brain... currently at least. When tracking to the left... I picture myself sitting square and lifting my inside seat bone (I think I was collapsing hard core to the left) and thinking of lifting his rib cage up and into my outside leg and rein. The other little magical piece that makes the world of difference... I have to NOT CROSS HIS NECK with my outside rein. I have to take hold and get a connection, but not hang, and almost think of dropping my hand to the back and outside.... like lateral. I almost have to open that rein to make it work. But... it gives his shoulders a place to go, which makes his feet come up square underneath him and allows his rib cage to lift on the inside. MAGIC!! And then, like I realized before, when he's square and lined up, he can be forward. And obviously, he's bent, but... he's tracking square. 

So then going to the right, I need to lift my right rein. Which I think is what I did the other day when Cindy got so proud of me. Again, sit square.... ride inside leg to outside rein. BUT... Beth noticed that when she half halts on the inside rein like normal, it pulls the bit back into his mouth. Which makes Dan almost cock his head or twist it, thus kinking his neck. So there isn't a flow of energy because of the kink. So... if we lift the right hand up in the air (almost ridiculously so), it lifts the bar of the bit into the top corner of his mouth and it helps him align his head and poll softly so that he can flex correctly and there is a energy flow. :) 

So.... I did both canters and worked on that and they were lovely!!!

Beth also worked on getting him to throw his haunches out at the walk and trot while staying bent in the front end. I didn't do any of that but plan to at the next ride. Hopefully I can sneak one in tomorrow evening so I can play some before my lesson with Cindy. :)

Change of Scenery

Ahhhh..... Today was a Holly day. :) All me! And I so needed it.

I went to bed early last night because I was just so exhausted from the week. I was so tired of being hot, being sweaty, being mosquito bitten, and having headache after headache. I really wanted to ride but... I just couldn't do it.

So I came home, showered, and sat on the couch and watched tv while I ate Mac-n-cheese. Then I went to bed early. I slept in and got an actual full 8 hours of sleep (Granted I woke up twice, but still... 8 hours!!!).

I decided that I wanted a change of scenery. I thought about driving to Aiken to go to Hitchcock Woods and then I could get hay (in theory) and beetpulp. But then the client that is going to fix my trailer called and said he'd stop by this afternoon, so.. it was a good excuse to stay close and get stuff done. I got a lot done.. not all I wanted to get done done, but.. a lot.

Danny and I drove to the Horse Park. (I feel kind of awful for not taking Fleck but... it was so humid and muggy). I had to wipe all the mold off of my tack first. Yucky. (One of the things I did not do... cleaning my tack completely). We started off at a nice walk but Danny was spooky! And the footing was pretty rough because of all the rain. There was lots of ravines and roots exposed. Danny was being so mincy. But we finally hit some good footing and put some trotting in. We had parked by the rings and explored that section and went down to the canoe launches. Dan was freaked out about the covered bridge at the water complex and wouldn't go in it at first. It took a few tries and for a few minutes I thought I was going to have to give up. But we got it done. He walked over the plain open bridges without being phased though. We also got in a nice canter and gallop! It was so much fun. I wanted to do a bit more fitness/canter sets, but it was so hot and muggy at that point. Danny was soaking wet and lathered where the reins where on his neck. So we did a tiny bit more canter and then trotted a hair and then walked til we cooled down.

It was a great day. And SUCH a beautiful day! At least to look at. It was muggy! But at least it wasn't raining again.

Then I came home and got two bales of hay, alfalfa pellets, and shavings. And treats. :) And crypto aero.... The only thing I didn't get was beet pulp. And lots of hay. :) But still... I got that accomplished. I did some laundry, did the dishes, paid bills...  I may get my shadow box done. We'll see. I may update some of my other blog posts that aren't really done. We'll see.

Tomorrow I have a lesson and am going to try the monoflap jump saddle again. And then I have to adjust two ponies and then come home to hang out with Mike. :)

 

Tonight I gave Danny and Emma each a dog toy that I bought at Tractor Supply. Danny left his in his stall and I locked them out of the barns. Emma was a meanie head and didn't share. :) Ha ha... His face cracks me up!

Man he's a hunk though!