Cavaletti Clinic

Today was Beths' cavaletti clinic! It was great timing after our lesson the other day. Beth had set up a bunch of poles in a square with long sides. We trotted through it first and it took a few tries but Lyric eventually got the hang of it. She's not always the most coordinated with the poles. But she learned! So then... instead of just trotting through the peaks of the squares... next up... we did a bendy line. She had us trot pernpendicular over the single poles, then bend around the corner and back out over the other pole. Which... sounds easy, but... it's NOT a lot of room! Especially for a big ol' lumberjack of a girl! But.. because Jacel had taught us how to use the outside rein and inside leg and follow our nose... we were able to make it happen. And then Beth was able to help us make it smoother. Well, as smooth as we could get it for where we are right now. The key was planning ahead and starting to make the changes way sooner than I was thinking. So we would trot the single pole... then start the left bend and as we hit the first pole, start the right bend, and then before we hit the peak, start the left bend again. But it really did make a difference. Lyric went from feeling like a 2x4 to slithering around the poles. It took multiple tries to finesse it. And ... because we had just done the lesson earlier about keeping her rhythm slow... we were able to keep her slow and more balanced to make it easier. Except half way through she got mad and tried to rush through it and I couldn't effectively do all the bend changes and half halt without just holding, so... it got ugly for a second. But after that, we fixed it again. 

Then it got harder! Then we had to do the slither turns.. then pick up the canter and canter through the square but only the corner like a one stride. So... essentially a 10 meter circle. Okay.. but like... we can barely canter a 20 meter or 30 meter circle balanced. Gulp! Luckily another girl went first and it took her multiple attempts and we got to hear Beth tell her how to fix it... (Ride a 10 meter circle... keep riding the 10 meter circle) so that by the time it was our turn... we actually got it the first try! It wasn't pretty... and we had multiple attempts that it didn't happen, but we did manage a few with it happening. Good girl!!

A very helpful clinic! Hard work but fun. Afterwards we all went for a hack. It was Sharon on Baylor (who did awesome too!) and Alexa on Teddy. We headed out and ended up near the lake. We figured they were thristy. I was talking as we were getting close about how when I told Lyric that she wasn't allowed to stay if she didn't load and haul I should have added that the other thing she needed to do was to get in the lake because it was really not fun staying on dry land when everyone else was partying in the pool. And I kid you not.... Lyric just kept on marching and walked right up to the lake and put both front feet in and took a drink. Okay.. ha ha.. I hear you girl! You're staying, but yay! Then since Baylor was next to her drinking,.... I clucked.. and she just walked all the way in!! WHAT?!?! She walked around a bit and was pawing and splashing and having a grand ol' time! In fact, she almost went to the deep hole spot on the side. I had to pull her around because I didn't want her to scare herself. Or soak my saddle. She really was only up to her knees, but it drops off hard there. YAY! How much fun. I let her play a bit and then we all carried on and hacked around. She was so good with the other horses. She led most of the way but not because she had to be in the front. 

Good pony!