Bonus Lesson

Whoo hoo!!

We got a bonus lesson today! We ended up doing lessons at the house because Courtney had to cancel so it was just me and Jean's interns. So yay! I did Funny first at 8:30 and then grabbed Lyric for a ride. My friend Lisa was coming to visit from Washington but wasn't going to get there til 11:30, so I figured since I wasn't hauling home from Ashland, I had time. So I grabbed her and luckily, they were all back near the stalls and she let me catch her! This morning when I went to get Funny she ran from me. Well, walked fast from me. ;) But.. that meant no cookies missy! So I was glad that she actually walked up to me when it was her turn. I even still had my helmet on. Of course once I gave her the cookie she started to walk away but she didn't fuss when I snagged her. 

We tacked up and walked up to the arena where the interns were still getting their lesson. As we walked into the arena a truck pulled up next to it and Jacel mentioned that apparently they were about to start cutting down trees. GREAAAAAAATTTT.... I may not ride then! (When did I turn into such a wimp?!). She told me to just walk her around in hand a bit and see what she did. And she was good. She stared... and tried to spin once or twice but then settled. It also helped that they were really only cutting down limbs... not actual trees. And they were slow and methodical and pretty cognizant of us, so... okay... I got on! I warmed up on the "square" working on moving her haunches and shoulders. Then I picked up the trot and was trying to do my homework from Sunday and I heard Jacel yell "Slow the rhythm Holly". Ha ha. Okay! We just trotted enough to "warm up". Ha! It's like... 90 degrees already! Maybe not, but close. My car actually read 100 today later in the afternoon and that was moving... not just sitting in the parking lot. Ugh.

 

So then it was our turn and we went to work. We talked about how in my lesson with Funny we did "follow the nose". But Lyric already knows that but.... we were going to expand on that exercise. Instead of doing half circles, she wanted us to do full circle serpentines down center line. So, we started at the walk and did a 15 meter circle (not 10... we don't want to stress her stifles yet) and then changed direction and did another 15 meter circle and a half and then changed direction and repeat. I could ride her shoulders instead of her nose because she's more educated. We got that and she was stepping up and under nicely. So then we went to the trot and did the same thing. It was a bit icky in the beginning but once I paid attention to my rebellious left arm... it got better. When we track to the left, I'm so stuck forward in my shoulder and hip on the left side that I'm pushing them the wrong way. And then I want to correct the feeling of them falling in on my left leg by crossing my left hand over the neck. Even when Jacel was telling me to roll my shoulder back.. my arm was sneaking. So I focused on bringing my elbow back and out and keeping that straight line elbow to bit... and rocking my left pelvis back and down and my left shoulder back and down. And that made a BIG difference. And then, when I added posting my right hip to her left shoulder and riding her right shoulder around to the inside, it was magic!! She suddenly bent around my inside leg, picking her shoulders up square and even and got straight. And she could stretch the outside of her body. And she could step up and under with the inside hind leg. It was LOVELY! And.... we had a soft gooey connection with her reaching to the bit. She lifted her back and got soft and round. YAY!!! So we kept doing our circles and I was actually kind of proud of myself too because every time we changed directions, we had to regroup a little, and especially going to the left again, I really had to focus on my body position. But each time we did it, I got a little smoother and quicker and we got some really lovely work!!

 

So then we gave her more walk breaks (Lots of walk breaks today because it is HOT and because we don't want to fatigue her). And then it was time to canter. Same thing, only we didn't do serpentines...we just stayed on a circle. A big circle. But I had to ride the same. Almost like I was going to make a 10 meter canter circle, but then stay straight. But we had some of our best canter work!! Our upwards were some of our best.. the canter felt the most relaxed and soft and round as it ever has... I could even sit the canter a little bit! It was so nice. And soft. And what I'm aiming for. Whooo hoooo!!! 

We did a canter or two each way and then gave her another short break. And then, to challenge her... because we both agree that she felt pretty darn sound and good, although there was an occasional weak moment... we trotted four trot poles on the ground. And instead of backing of or getting squirrely... she charged right through them! Like... an eager beaver! Not rushing to get through it or because she was scared. But because she was having fun! We had some really nice trot through them. I think we did it about 4 times and the 3rd and 4th time I half halted within the poles to slow her roll and she settled and gave me a really nice trot. She's really articulating her stifle and hock joints. Yay! I think she feels better. But we could tell she was starting to fatigue so we quit with that. Good girl!!

Oh, and... the whole time she was pretty chill about the tree cutting. Even after Monty and the interns left and left us "alone". She looked at it a few times and Jacel told me to gently guide her nose back to the job and continue on. We were teaching her that I'm in charge.. and if she looks, she can take a quick glance but then she has to trust that I've got her and won't let her get hurt and carry on. And she did. She was like "oh.. mom's not worried... so carry on". Yay! This is putting money in our bank!