Winter Music

Oh yay!! I'm so glad I got to have another flat lesson with Jacel! It's just so helpful.  We added on to the last lesson. We decided we could move past the square, but remembered to keep it in the tool box if we needed it. So today we focused more on getting a better rhythm. She tends to sling herself forward and gets runny vs sitting and lifting and pushing. So we slowed it down. The calculated walk and trot and canter. (Canter is hardest!). When I slow her cadence down... she can breathe and think and use herself and doesn't get stuck in the momentum. If I slowed her rhythm with my body, and some well timed half-halts, but then ignored her face... she really could use herself better. And the twisting in her poll went away... as did the chompies. It's hard, but when she settles into her, she is really lifting her back and using herself. Even though it feels like a western pleasure jog, Jacel said she was actually tracking up. (Which... even when she's power trottin...

 Oh my! I don't know what set them off, but Lyric was WILD this morning. Maybe the fact that the storm was over and the sun was out. She looks so fancy running like a fool is the slip and slide mud! I'm so glad she doesn't do these moves under saddle. Her left "hook" cracks me up though. KAPOW! But dang... amidst the feral.. she looks so fancy! Like a freakin' warmblood. Do that under saddle love!!! The fancy part.. not the feral part. :) 

  Poor girl! Back to work. She deserved a day off after yesterday BUT.... I can't ride tomorrow and it's supposed to rain Tuesday, so... sorry kiddo! But at least we stayed home and just did dressage today. Ha. "Just"... I think she would have rather jumped again. But she was a good girl.    It was a bit brisk today but the sun was out. We walked up to the arena and did some pillar work. I forgot about lunging first, so I just got on. We had a pretty good ride in the beginning. There were a lot of good moments and she was pretty forward. We got some nice connection that was from her seeking it!!!! Short, but sweet. I was trying hard to ride the body and not the head. And I worked on trying to keep my body where it needed to be. And it worked... I had to resort to my hands a few times, but we had lots of good moments. But then once we cantered she got a little squirrely. And then I got a bit more handsy. Sigh. We managed to do some transitions and then back to trot. Sh...

  Today was a hard day. I had to put Emma down this morning. It sucked. It's harder than it used to be. But it was time. She was ready. It still sucked. We had signed up to do the show at Ashland so... I went.  Luckily the weather cooperated and it didn't rain. It was sunny in the morning but then the breeze picked up and the clouds came out and it was a hair chilly. But good riding weather. Of course because it was a jumper show there wasn't specific times so I was rushing but ended up having plenty of time. I was so proud of Lyric though. She was settled and we went in the warm up and she walked, trotted and cantered quite politely. She was acting like a seasoned show horse. We jumped the cross rail, the vertical and then the oxer and then... I decided to go check in. I thought I was going to be up pretty quickly, but... not so much. Apparently there was a division I didn't realize, so... we hung out... warmed up again but didn't really jump anymore. Finally it wa...