Cob Jockey

Summer has finally arrived in Indiana, today was our first 90 degree day.  Connor was feeling frisky, and either gave me a buck that ended in a lead change or a poor flying lead change going uphill at the canter.  Whatever it was, it was awkward, uncoordinated, and he did it because he didn't like cantering uphill on his least favorite lead (right).  That's work! he said.  Tough shit, I said as I circled back, picked up the right lead and went back up the hill.  No more of him convincing me to do more on his better side because it feels better. We're going to be a two-sided pair!

Someone has forgotten what a box fan is in the last 10 months.

Post-conditioning ride and hosing.

"That was better.  He takes SO much leg to keep together at the canter.  You need some spurs."

My trainer was talking to me from her perch on my blowing pony.  She'd just spent a half-hour on him, first softening him up at the walk and moving him around ("It was like his neck was just set straight and that's the way it is,") and then moving into the trot, and finally, the canter, where she moved him back and forth between moving forward in a half-seat and sitting down to encourage him to sit and compress the canter.

Although I don't have the feel she does, I learn a lot from watching her.  Her hands are soft and stable, but they are constantly moving with purpose, having a conversation with his mouth.  Her leg is around him - REALLY around him - especially at the canter.  Her reins are longer than she typically prefers when she's working on getting him soft, so that she can reward him with a release that much quicker than she could if her reins were the regular length.

More Dressage work/suppling, get spurs, more conditioning.  These are going to be the stories of my second half of 2013!

The combination of my trainer's good riding and clover slobbers led to some epic foam.

Tired pony.

Flared nostrils after 10 minutes of cantering while playing hard to catch.  No one can say he's not conditioned for XC at this point.