Brave Pants!

 And sweaty pants! Holy cow we were both so sweaty! And today wasn't even as hot as it has been, but there was no breeze and the humidity was rough. 

Lyric and I went to Ashland for a XC clinic with Aubrey! She came back from NY to hang with us. :) I rode at noon, so at 10:45 I went out to get Lyric, just in case she wouldn't let me catch her or took awhile to load. Last time I went out at 11 to get her I was running a bit late! Of course I caught her easily and she loaded right up. We got to Ashland and the poor girl was already damp almost all over. I don't know if the trailer rides make her nervous... or if she's just that warm bodied. I think a little of both because you can feel the heat radiating off of her all the time. I'll have to remember this come blanket season. Ahhh.... blanket season.. I miss you! ;) 

We got to Ashland and said hi to everyone. I parked in the shade and tried to give her time to cool off a bit before I tacked up, but... it was just so hot I figured it was a moot point so... I just tacked up. We ended up being ready well before noon so I figured we'd go for a short hack in the woods to warm up and stay cool. And get some quality time together and with the hills. So off we went. She was a brave girl and we meandered around the lake. We even saw a snake. Or I did. I'm not sure she even saw it because she was bothered by a horse fly. I was able to swat it away and we carried on pretty quickly. 

 

We made it out to the XC field on time and hung out in the shade for a few minutes waiting on Aubrey to get back from a tiny break. We rode with 3 other riders who were awesome. To start Aubrey had us all trot as a group down to the open oxer and back. It went surprisingly well considering. Lyric was pretty chill. Yay! Then we took turns cantering around the field and Aubrey had us start with a show jump canter, then allow a bigger canter up to our XC canter (350 mpm) and then collect back to a show jump canter. I was actually rather proud that we were sort of able to do it. Sure, we sort of started with the BIG canter but then I was able to collect it and then send her on again and then collect it again. And no bucking or porpoising! And I'm sure it wasn't as big of a canter as it felt, but girls got some go. She goes from very compact to very long quite quickly. At least it seems that way right now. I'm sure as we both get more confident in each other, it'll feel less intimidating. But it wasn't that bad and it was really quite fun!

So then we did some jumping and Lyric was pretty good. She threw her shoulders around a bit starting out each time but I got better about it. We didn't do a ton of jumps... we worked more on ditches, banks and water. But we were able to trot up and down the bank and jumped the jump on the top of the hill after the bank and she was brave over that. Then we did the water. She was super! She walked up and down the bank into the water fine and then even trotted down! And up. Then Aubrey had us try trotting down the bank with the little baby log on the edge. Eeeks! But I was game to try. The first time she stopped and looked but after she looked for a few seconds, I turned her and we reapproached and she hesitated but went! And then after that it was only a slight hesitation (more like she was figuring out how to do it) and then she did it from a trot! It was still a little awkward but... BRAVE girl because heck, we couldn't even walk down the bank into the water not that long ago. And not only that but then Aubrey had us turn and trot up the other bank. And then we trotted down the little bank and landed in a canter and turned and cantered up the other bank! It took a little bit of finesse for me to figure out how to soften and slip the reins but pull them back up again quickly to get a half halt and balance and make a smooth turn but I did. And yay Lyric because even at Beth's clinic she couldn't figure out how to land and canter on in the water. She's so smart!

Then we added a jump after but kept it simple since we threw a lot at her brain with the log down into the water. And she was wiggly but she went. So then we moved onto the ditches and she walked over them pretty nonchalantly for her. Not a quiet walk but not a giant leap either. And no hesitation. So then we trotted the bigger one and then trotted the big on to the coop after. Yay! I was doing well with giving with my hands and following without giving with my shoulders. Yay!

We finished with doing the BN ditch to the coop and then went to the skinny brush bench thing. And she was so brave and just... cantered up and over. I had to widen my hands and work at keeping her straight to it, but she went! Whoo hooo!! Brave girl. We ended with that as it was so hot and she was dripping sweat and puffing. 

  

I'm so proud of her! She's really gotten so grown up and brave! And I'm proud of myself too for trusting her more. And for her, for trusting herself and me! Yay! Hopefully this will be a fun Fall!