Cob Jockey

I got to ride my horse last night!

I haven't been out there in so long there were cobwebs between my tack locker and blanket hanger :(

The girl before me was having a jump lesson in the grassy stadium field across the road, so I went out there too even though we wouldn't be jumping.  I knew it was going to be a fun lesson when I asked for trot in warmup and got a grunt/squeal!  

Here is a list of the reasons I almost got tossed, which would terrify me on a big horse, but just make me laugh on Connor:

- A truck with a rattling metal trailer drove by (Legitimately lost his mind)
- A woman talking on speakerphone walked by (On alert)
- I sniffled (Planted, propped and slid)
- I asked for shoulder fore and he took offense to my left leg. (Actual buck)
- Scooters (On alert)

Legit.

He wasn't being bad, he just had more energy than he knew what to do with.  The sniffle one was especially great, we were going past a fence when I sniffled so he thought, I don't know, the fence did it?  Out of a gorgeous trot, he slammed on the brakes like a reining horse and threw his head up.  When I told my trainer what set him off, she chuckled and sarcastically said, "Well, we can't possibly [sniffle around him], that's just not allowed."

We left legit skidmarks.  My reining horse friends would be so proud.

I need a second Dressage schooling pad, and I thought I'd be like the cool kids and rep Riding Warehouse, but unfortunately, their Dressage pads are quarter sheet-sized on Connor.

But the fun thing for me was all that energy meant I had great impulsion so he was going amazingly well, AND I got to practice riding it.  With my new position, I really am able to just sit up and tell him to chill out in my seat and he comes back to me...eventually.  This is great practice for shows, where I sometimes escalate things with him when he's up already.

The look of neglect.  He gave himself his own dirt quarter mark while I was gone.

Summer coat growing in so fast.

Although I think my trainer would have liked to, y'know, practice something other than trotting 20m circles and SF, I was happy to have a fun lesson in the warm sun with my horse feeling really good after the kind of week I've had.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Missed this little guy.

Yesterday, Connor and I cantered bareback (my first time ever) and did all the lateral stuff bareback so that I could work on feeling myself scrunch to one side or the other when asking for lateral stuff and attempt to fix that, and also so that I could work on sitting more with my pelvis underneath me instead of tipped forward - nothing like a pair of withers in your way to help with that!

Today, we successfully pushed through our usual issues and duplicated the type of connection we had on Thursday by ourselves today.  Duplicating the success I have with my lessons outside of lessons is unusual for me, so that's a big deal. 

What an awesome weekend.

A look out one of the barn doors at part of the grassy field on a chilly 29 degree morning.

Pony gets a treat.

Stackhouse, fitting as sexily as ever!

...pony wants another treat?

My trainer's reaction to tonight's lesson: "I really think we can call this a breakthrough, he looks fantastic, he's so between your aids and listening to you.  This is how you get a horse on the bit the right way."

My reaction to tonight's lesson:"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He started out pulling my arms off with explosive forwardness after he got spooked by the assistant trainer riding up behind us, and as my biceps started aching ten minutes in, I thought that there was no way we were going to get anything productive done today. 

 So, my trainer had me break it down to the walk.  Ride a square, ride each corner as a turn on the forehand around the corner, asking the outside shoulder to remain straight as the inside hind steps under.  It was awful at first.  This is a timing and feel exercise, and my timing and feel were all off.  I was also exhausted after getting up at 5:30am for a women's leadership breakfast in Indianapolis, and I actually got to a point where I was so mentally fatigued, I couldn't remember whether we were cuing for turn on the forehand or turn on the haunches, steered him into the wrong movement, and almost came to tears.  We were fighting each other, he was hauling on me, and it was not good.

After that coming to Jesus moment, though, and my trainer explaining that I needed to half-halt when the outside fore was hitting the ground, I suddenly developed magical timing and was able to do the exercise properly.  When I was able to do the exercise properly, with my outside rein and inside leg working in sync, Connor came on the bit.  When Connor came on the bit, we stopped fighting each other.  When all of the above happened, he smoothly performed a perfect partial turn on the forehand at every corner like a champ, and best of all, respected me enough to stop bullying and do what I wanted.

That wasn't even the best part of the lesson.  The best part occurred after that, as a result of that, when we absolutely floated through a trot exercise, and got the best upward transitions I've ever gotten.  She had me continue to think turn on the forehand on a square at the trot to encourage me to use my aids properly.  I cried out and giggled when I felt him lift his back a good 3-4 inches upward during the trot transition. He wasn't hauling on my arms, but he was properly in the bridle, working the bit and seeking it actively.  He wasn't upside down, he was round and really, really lifting his back.  Best of all, it was consistent, even though he really doesn't have the proper muscles to work like that for a long period of time.  It was a true breakthrough. 

I have never wished I had video more than I do right now.