Winter Music

 pulled shoes but put on hoof casts pooped on the okra

  I love dressage grinding though :)    Bonus ride today because of Memorial Day. I had booked the day off. And am so thankful and grateful for all of those who served to give me the freedom to live this life I love.    I rode Lyric at home first. We walked up to the arena and did a tiny bit of pillar work and then I got on. No lunging today. I honestly just forgot about it. We did our "relationship to contact" work at the halt and then the walk. She's really figuring it out in the walk. Then we trotted. Yeahhhhh... not so much at the trot. But we kept at it. She got quick, but we managed to do a fair amount of our homework. There were some good moments! We also got two nice canters. For some reason she is less inverted in the canter. Then we did a walk break and then did some more trotting and ended with a fairly nice trot. Then we got an awesome walk both ways, with her actually going into the outside rein connection! Yay!   We hacked back down to the hou...

 Lyric's an event horse. And I think she likes it!!! This morning was a bit chilly and brisk and she started out calm but then Dan got everyone all riled up. Every show morning! But I suppose it's helped her get some energy out before I get on. Luckily she stayed clean overnight, so... after breakfast and shenanigans, we headed to Ashland.  She hauled great and sat in the trailer well while I checked in. However once I got her unloaded she was a hot mess. She was spinning, pooping, and on edge. Her veins were popping and she was starting to sweat. I walked her around a bit so she could look at things and it only kind of sort of helped. I tied her up so she could look around the corner of the trailer. I tried to groom her but she was spinning so much it really didn't happen. I did manage to at least get her fly boots off and her feet picked. And then we just sat for a minute... me with my hands on her trying to help settle her. Then I managed to get her tacked up. Mike showe...

field trip with dan to bridlewood for kelly lesson duh... relationship to contact... just hold harder... she gives. make it black and white, then go gray. turn my wrists down but don't live there. give, always give. aim for lower with her nose for now good girl three amigos flirting with her, dan upset loaded to go home  massage after 

 Snuck in a ride tonight... tried to recreate yesterday and while it was better than the last few rides, not as good as yesterday. Oh well. I suck. I did all the things. I do wonder if the saddle was bothering her today. I rode in the same one as yesterday but it felt tipped forward and on her withers today. (the thorowgood). I'll try the PH or my county dressage one tomorrow and see.  practiced our test... we can manage the short canter on the circle IF i can get the lead right. which I could mostly, but... I'm thinking I should probably NOT practice cantering in the warm up at all. but good girl. she tried