Thursday, January 27, 2011

Sore Muscles

Poor Gracie was sore today, so we walked a lot.  First worked on walk squares, then on to half pirouettes.  The piaffe has helped the pirouettes also.  The first 1/4 is fine, but I need to engage the hind end for the second 1/4 or she steps out.  Interestingly they were much easier to the left today rather than to the right. and I tended to fall left instead of right.  Teaching her to step forward instead of throwing her haunches right has helped a lot.

Also worked on the fan exercise at the walk.  I tend to not give the outside rein enough.  As soon as I gave her space to bend her hindquarters become much steadier.

Came home and rode Pico (arena is nice today).  We worked on changing bend, keeping the trot tempo slow and steady, walk trot transitions to help engage his hindquarters, and finally on trot-canter transitions.  Man do I have to work to keep his canter moving with the hindquarters a tiny bit engaged.

Oh and I scooped 3 loads of manure. :^)

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