Cavaletti Clinic

Lyric and I went to the cavaletti clinic this morning. Poor girl.. I think she feels like I'm picking on her because she's been ridden a lot lately, and taken a lot of places. But.. it's just how the cookie crumbles darlin'. :) 

 

We loaded up and headed to High Point for our lesson with Veronica and Kristin. Kristin was on Hottie... Hot Potato! One of my cute little pony patients. We had fun. 

We worked on shortening her stride and encouraging lift and push instead of just running. Beth reminded me that it's going to feel very sluggish and underpowered to me, but it's not. Well, it may be underpowered but that's because I can't expect her to sit and push and be strong yet. It's a step. But it has to start with the slower more controlled, shorter step. And sure enough, as we kept going, she started to feel more powerful. Yay! I had to balance keeping her short and not getting in her face. But it went back to my ride with Jessica yesterday too. More leg to push her into the contact. But don't just hang on her face or hold.. soften to it. Elastic elbows and a mobile outside rein, half halting as I'm adding leg. 

We did some trot poles on a curve and then we did the triangle thing. And then we cantered the line with a small jump. And same thing.. I have to keep her small so she can use herself correctly. So, Beth had me half halt with my outside rein as my hips came forward, but also keep my leg on to encourage her to sit and push. And it worked. Lyric started sitting. But then she got wiggly. Which.. is because it's hard. Beth did remind me to not drop my inside rein too. I need support. She said that if she's counterbent, then I'm not supporting with the inside rein. Okay... Because I think I'm overcompensating because I like to hang on that inside rein, especially when it's the left one. She said that if I was hanging on it, everytime I softened my half halt on the outside, her head would wag to the inside. So that would be my tell. Okay.. noted. :) She also reminded me that my half halt and soften was to be a half halt and back to neutral. Not a half halt and abandon her. Ha ha.. Doh! She knows me too well. But good point... abandoning her is just that.. abandoning her. But neutral is the reward. 

It was fun and helpful and watching the video, she definitely doesn't look as slow or sluggish as I was thinking she was. Though admittedly, by the end, I could feel that she wasn't just shut down or sluggish. So yay!

Poor girl was so hot and sweaty though. She's been breathing so hard and I'm a little worried she's unfit, or having issues, but I think it's mostly just how massive she is. She's got a lot of muscle mass that heats up! She cooled down and was fine and grazing after her rinse, so I do think she just gets hot and sweaty and cranky. Like me. :) 

Good pony!! She will probably get tomorrow off just because I'm taking Funny to day two of the clinic and then I may hang out with Mike, so... she can enjoy her days until Tuesday. :)