Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday -- Spruce Mountain trail with Lindsey J., Lindsay K., Jenny, Sophie, and Olivia.  Pico was a good boy, but a bit of an energizer bunny.  Someone needs to remind him that he is a draft cross.  We had a lot of nice trot and a very nice canter with Sophie leading.

Sunday -- jumped at Platinum.  Rochelle had had a mini-clinic with Jan Binny the day before, so we repeated that. :^)  Lots of bendy lines and a focus on moving the shoulders around.  Morgen rode Demi, who really just wanted to pull her around the course.  Pico was easier.  I got my leads now and then - I really have to remember to look at the next jump, but just look, not pull his head that direction.  As soon as I touch the reins in the air he hits the jump.  Lots and lots of leg, especially left.

Rode Gracie in the evening.  Lots of walk/Canter/walk.  Worked on the flying changes also - they are getting better.  Have to release the new inside rein.  Left to right my outside leg needs to go back a smidge earlier to move her hindquarters in.  That eliminates the late behind issue on that side.  Right to left is easier, but very flat.  I think we need consistency before we work on jump though.  Lots of left leg and slight turn to the left and I get better right rein.  Right rein is inconsistent, but improving.  I have to focus on not hanging on the left rein.

Good rides all around, and of course the wind is back to howling today.  

A week flies past

Tuesday I went to Mariah for a lesson on Gracie.  Lots of canter-piaffe-canter.  Getting better, but a ways to go.  I have to sit lightly for the down transition.  It helps to do them very quickly - we don't have as much time to fall apart.

We worked on Piaffe also -- it is looking very good.  Walk pirouettes are getting better.  I have to remember to ride every stride.

Wednesday rode both horses in the arena at home.

Thursday skipped.

Friday rode Pico in the pasture - worked on trot-canter transitions and keeping the trot up, but still relaxed.

3 Days in a ROW

Life is much improved!  Saturday everything was soggy, so I went around the loop with both horses (and Lindsay K).  

Sunday Pico went to Platinum with me.  We had one really good round where I was able to put his canter together and *keep* it together for 6 consecutive jumps.  I was exhausted at the end of the round, but it was good and gives me a goal.  Rode Gracie in the arena after I got home -- C-W-C, put weight on the right shoulder, etc.  It helps to keep my left hand lifted.  Hard to keep my right hand flexible though.

Today rode both in the arena.  Worked on 3rd-1 test with Gracie.  Really nice test except you have to go from extended canter to collected canter on the left lead, then into the 10m circle and the flying change.  Sadly, she really can't do that without stiffening if she is unwilling to put weight on her right shoulder.  We cantered on the left lead a lot today.  Did a lot of C-W-C transitions.  Third level is almost easier than 1st because the transitions come faster and she doesn't have as long o lose her balance.  

Pico and I did several trot-canter transitions and worked on a more collected version of a canter.  Right lead is getting pretty good.  Left lead is ....  needs work.  He is much more balanced overall though and beginning to hold himself up.  It just takes a ton of leg to keep him moving and supported.  Trot work is fun - shoulder in is coming along also.  This whole thing is much easier on Pico than it has been on Gracie.

Rain and Snow

I'm fairly sure you could go fishing in the arena this afternoon.

Piaffe and Right Rein

Rode Gracie last night - when she goes through I have right rein and I am able to sit on the right instead of continually being thrown to the inside.   A lot of arguments about giving in the left jaw and I never did get to canter.

Had a lesson today.  We started with walk pirouettes.  May I say they are much easier on Gracie than on Demi.  But....  I have to sit to the inside, lead with my inside rein, lay my outside rein on her neck, stay flexible in my seat, use BOTH legs.  Then I get very nice second level walk pirouettes though. :^)  She likes to take large steps behind instead of tiny steps.

Moved to piaffe.  It is great to have the mirrors.  To the left piaffe was pretty good.  I have to lift the left rein a little to keep her on her right shoulder, but it's not bad.  To the right it was apparently really difficult to lift the left shoulder and stay balanced on her right shoulder.  I held the left rein up quite high, which was very upsetting to Gracie,  She wants to lean on it and she can't that way.  I have to relax into piaffe and let her find the rhythm and support myself with my thighs, which is very difficult.

Then on to canter departs (because after piaffe Gracie's collected trot is fabulous and she is through on both reins.  I am balanced and can both support myself and turn my shoulders to the inside.  My.

Canter-piaffe-canter.  Very challenging, but good.  I have to lift into the canter and also lift into the piaffe.  Left canter was better than it has been -- again with the lifted left rein, turn my shoulders inside, sit back.  Stay loose, but supported for down transitions.

My.

Rain and Snow

Rode Pico around the loop and 10 minutes in the arena.  Nice trot, but that's about it.  Everything is soggy, including the arena.

Mariah

Took both horses to Mariah today.  Gracie and I are still arguing over her right shoulder.  The left lead is much better if I hold my left hand up -- that lets me use an indirect rein to help shove her over to her right shoulder and also makes it more difficult for me to lean on the left rein.  I asked her to canter haunches out (leg yield on the circle) several times.  That is really really difficult for her (us).  When I had the right rein I could do a decent down transition. We worked a little on just going to trot instead of to walk or halt. That helps with the forward part.  

On the right lead the problem was the down-transition.  She wants to throw her haunches in, so I cannot touch the right rein.  It takes a huge amount of left rein to manage that.  Actually that lead in general takes more left rein than I expect.  She wants to canter haunches in.  I can counter-act that with the left rein, but it needs a lot.

Having the mirrors helps a lot.

Pico was pretty good -- we had okay right canter, lousy left.  Trot was okay.  It was fun to watch him in the mirror.  Those quick hind legs are so interesting compared to the so slow warmbloods.

Off to Leadville tomorrow, so I am going to miss two days again.  Bummer.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Thursday:  Lindsay K came over and rode Gracie.  I rode Pico.  We both worked on transitions.....

Friday:  Rode Grace and worked on flying changes.  I hang on the left rein in left lead down transitions and that makes her throw her haunches right.  Of course I have no right rein for that down transition.  Yargh.  The changes were better.

Saturday:  Rode First level test 3 and Third level test 1.   She is almost better at the 3rd level test.  Same down transition problem as yesterday though -- no right rein.  Changes were messy, but happened.

Pico was much better.  Canter depart was scrambly and scooty, but still better.  We were almost cantering instead of galloping.

Jumping at Platinum

Took Pico over to Platinum today for a little jumping in the wind.  Nothing special -- I have no left leg bcz my ankle isn't cooperating (that's my story and I am sticking to it) and he hadn't been ridden for days.  He still jumps whatever we put in front of him though and better from a canter than from a trot.  We were slightly better at the straight line and I hauled him around the bendy lines.  He's very strung out though, so I need a lot of dressage work. 

Gracie got a day off.  Lindsay is going to ride her Saturday, so I can watch.  I need to record the tests eventually also.

Canter - Walk - Canter - Walk - repeat for days

Yesterday -- CWCWCWCWCW  followed by some serpentines and half-pass to leg-yield.

Today -- Frances was apparently watching last night because we did the same thing today.  She told me to watch the base of Gracie's neck and not her nose.  That helps a lot.  I even had right rein now and then.  I have to remember to use my entire right arm and half-halt every single stride.  I get sucked into leaning on the left rein.  We also went around bent to the inside, then to the outside, then back to the inside, etc. (Shoulders in and haunches out, then shoulders out and haunches in. Gracie does not want to give it up to me.)  Finished with Canter serpentine that wasn't too awful.

Man what a lot of work!

Of Ankles and Red Geldings

So Friday I sprained my ankle - spent the afternoon lying on the couch feeling sorry for myself instead of taking a jumping lesson on Pico.  Of course the wind was howling also, which just grates at this point.  Could we just move on to summer please?  ...  nope, snowed yesterday and cold and gray again today.  

Put the horses out in the 3 this morning -- Pico ran (ran) straight out to the far corner and crawled through the fence into the neighbor's pasture.  I gimped over to catch him, dragged him home, and spent the next hour repairing the fence.  Put him back out to see what happened.  He galloped back to the corner, stuck his head under the top wire and thought about whether or not he could still crawl through.  Then he ran around the pasture a couple of times, hassled Gracie, dashed back to the corner and stuck his head under the top wire to think about it some more.  Someone needs to explain to him that cows crawl through fences.  Horses don't.  And he didn't for the rest of the morning at least.

Tomorrow I will ride again.

Lisa