Sunday, January 24, 2010

Friday night's ride was a suicide mission. I thought the barn would be quiet due to the weather. No such luck. I had ridden with these folks before so I kind of knew I needed to keep an eye out and thought this will be good warm up arena practice for us - people careening all about. Well, that might have worked but not with them having cavelletti set up. My eye's widen in horror as I see one young gal canter through trot distances. WTF! I am not the best with kids so I keep my mouth shut and focus on me and the mare. The dad then commandeers the other end of the arena to work his mare. Maybe you could have set up the poles later so we all could use the arena? Not saying anything I continue riding and circle when I need to so I balance Josie and keep her busy and focused on me.

There wasn't enough room for Miss Growly and another horse to pass left shoulder to left shoulder on the rail because of the poles set up. I had one near miss there. My plans for just forgetting about yielding went by the wayside. The positive thing was Mare and I dealt with her growliness and went to work even though it was on the rail. I would flex her to the inside if passing and then when I went by lunging kid I flexed her head to the outside. These seems to work. It was self-preservation all the way. I called out what I was doing to give advance warning - QUARTERLINE!

The best was when dad and kid almost collided. This girl and her friend decided that cantering side by side on the rail would be fun. I think I became growlier than Josie at this point. The furrow in between my eyes became the Grand Canyon. I try to remember they are just kids and keep working but I know I am getting pissier and pissier. Dad kept going through the jumps and I finally decided enough was enough - dismounted and got the hail out of there!

Meanwhile outside it is raining and then freezing. We minced our way back to the red barn. How we made it I will never know. You would slide without even moving. I walked Josie down the hill in the snow. It was all I could do to make it back up the hill. The pups were flitting around with ease. Show offs!

Saturday I worried about Josie breaking a leg. I let the pups out one at a time on a fifty foot line and then went from the patio into the snow to pick up. Wyatt couldn't figure it out. He kept pulling to go farther and I am saying, "No, you just go potty." He finally gave in. Pixie, amazingly, picked up on it pretty quickly.

Sunday with no trot poles I slept in as much as the pups would let me and then did the Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout again. Much easier but still very difficult. I really need to do the other days which are sculpting and toning, etc.

I was going to work on my two point for position strengthening but got side tracked. I rode for almost two hours. After some nice relaxed warm up. We worked on halt transitions and halt to trot in preparation of the tests. We worked a bit on canter departs and cantering without walls. Didn't get the totally awesome canter of the other day but very good for me and the mare. She got a little tense but then made it through and she became more relaxed about it. The downward transitions from canter to trot started out a little bad falling on the forehand and then rushing to get balanced. I focused on my position (keeping my chest up - feeling like I am behind the vertical which puts me where I should be) to keep her balanced and presto - much nicer transitions. We have come so far. I have to remind myself of the days where we could barely turn and canter freaked us both out. Ahhhhhhh! She isn't green any more. Love it! It is nice to work on fine tuning these days.

'Til the next ride!