Hacking and Dressaging

 This morning I rode with Sharon and Savannah. I was temtped to bring Dan because it was likely going to be a nice easy, walk only, short trail ride.  And he enjoys Baylors company. BUT... I was worried I had pushed him too hard Friday. And Lyric needed a nice hack too. So... I decided I should probably make him wait another day or two and take Lyric instead. Which, wasn't a bad choice. She needed to get ridden (and I ran out of time to do all three). But I do think Dan was a little sad. Poor guy. Hopefully I can hack him Tuesday!

 

Lyric and I had a nice ride. Sharon and Savannah let us lead. Lyric doesn't usually insist on leading but she just has such a big walk (or long body) that she usually ends up in front. We tried to let Baylor lead once or twice but she kept passing him. And Mystic doesn't care one way or the other, so she was happy in the back. A few times Baylor got close to Lyrics big booty and thought about chomping her, but he didn't. :) We enjoyed the woods and the colors. Although I suspect we're starting to get to the end of the good color. There may not be many leaves left in a week or so. 

  

Towards the end of the ride Baylor wanted to lead, so I let him but then he immediately slowed down and then Mystic got close and Lyric got all huffy! She makes me laugh. She gets all huffy and snorty and just... "well, I declare.... Oh my.... Ughhh.... I can't believe..... Did they just??". ha ha.  Sharon was happy to let her back in the front since Baylor came to almost a crawl, and she sighed a big sigh and went back to her happy place. Ha ha. She's so haughty! We did have a nice trot along the ridge line at the top of hoot and holler and she was able to move out and Baylor was able to trot happily too (I think) without getting held back. 

 

When we finished I left them to go to the arena for a little bit of dressage work. And I felt bad because I forgot Kelly E was teaching and she was in the other arena. Hi... I know I said I had other commitments and was poor, but... it's true! Although in retrospect I should have done a lesson. I was just trying to be good and save some money because I've been blowing through it and it's going to get worse next week with all the diesel and eating out and photos and videos. And then 9 weeks or not working... I still had the maria eggbut in and... yeah, definitely not a fan. She was much fussier and chompier and rooting a little again and felt a bit braced against me again. I do wonder if some of it is because it's a 5" instead of 5.25"?? But it wasn't good at all. Like... I almost went back to the trailer and changed it out, but... I didn't. I tried cantering to see if that helped and it did a little bit, but... still I don't like that bit for her. So I switched back to the baucher when we were done and I was cleaning my tack. 

  

Anyways, our ride had some good moments. But overall, not a great ride. She got running and heavy on the forehand at the end. She lost her hind end hard in the beginning. She was braced and not bending left again. And was struggling to bend right now too. In the leg yeild left she just wanted to throw her left shoulder out and jack knife to do it. But... We did the three quarter/one quarter gait changes... we did ten meter circles (at the walk and trot), and we did our yin yangs. We cantered. And we did find some good moments. She wanted to either pull on me and go too low or be a bit braced and against me mostly though. 

 

Sorry girl. I'll get you a bit you really like! I'll go back to the baucher or maybe try the rubber d ring again. I wish Funny's new baucher wasn't a 5" because that would be one I"d like to try. I'll have to see what else I have in my tack room and play. Or just wait til Kelli gets back in town and try to do a bit fitting with her.