Speed bumps

 Or just speed... the bumps are the journey. 

Today I got back on Lyric in hopes of practicing our homework. We started out grooming and tacking up at the trailer and then we headed to the arena. I did a tiny bit of pillar walking because I also wanted to do trailering practice and it was already later in the day. But hey, I got to ride after work so yay! 

 

I got on and we walked off and did our warm up. She was good. We did our "riddling" and our serpentines and she felt great. Then we tried the square box game. And it got a little rowdy. :) She was a little mad when I closed the reins when she wanted to go fast. She even threatened (very politely) to go up at one point. But she didn't. We managed to work through it and then got some really nice yielding of the hind end to my leg and then we were able to smooth out our square into nice turns with soft hinds and soft legs and still get the effect of the square without being super square. So then we relaxed a little bit in the walk and then we went to trot.

 

And she was quick today. Not bolting and not crazy but... just quick! I had to use my reins a whole lot more today than usual. Which I don't like. I would hold, hold, hold, and then give. Then had to hold, hold, hold, and then give. But she did eventually settle into a nice rhythm and we got some lovely soft neck too. But of course, every time she got quick, she braced. And then my holding made her brace more. Sigh. We worked through it and got some nice trot, but it was probably only 10% of the ride and the rest of the ride was braced. Oh well. I don't know quite how to fix it. And I know, I know... that's the only answer she knows. So I have to teach her to keep a rhythm, but other than half halting, slowing my seat, and releasing as soon as she slows and sits... I don't know what else to do. Maybe I should have gone back to the walk? Maybe I should have done more riddling or serpentines? 

 
Of course I still wanted to canter. We got the right lead and her canter was fast too. I managed to get her somewhat settled and then we trotted. I tried for the left lead and we got the right about 4 times before I was finally able to get the left. And it was fast too. We managed to get it soft and quiet and then we trotted and the we picked up the left lead again and got it somewhat quieter again. Then we trotted and once we got a soft quiet trot, I quit. 

So yeah.. kind of a frustrating ride. I know... I should give her more time and more grace. But it's just hard sometimes. I didn't get mad.. and I didn't spin her. It was just... not as fun of a ride. But I still told her she was a good girl.

 
We headed back and she got untacked and then she walked right into the washrack for her rinse. Then we grabbed the fanny pack full of alfalfa pellets and the target and headed to the trailer. She LOVES this game! She was all over it. And she's figured out that she has to touch the target to get the cookies. She touched it on the flat bed trailer but jumped when the alfalfa pellets fell onto the flatbed and made noise. But then she was brave and touched it again. Then we got both front feet on both ramps in the trailer and I managed to even got one foot into the trailer from both ramps. I probably could have asked for more, but... she started to act the slightest bit nervous, so I quit before we got stressed. I want this to be a fun game! 

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