Galloping

Not too long ago, sometime early spring, before we moved to Rocking Horse, my trainer asked me to come out with her while she conditioned a horse she was campaigning at the time.  She liked to have someone else with her, and Violet is always a ready companion.  Part of the reason that she wanted me there was to work on pace.  I have an issue with galloping.  Shoot, I have an issue with cantering, and when outside, it's even worse, probably because I feel a bit out of control.  For us Type-A accountant types, that is not a comfortable feeling.  That is part of the issue I have had on cross country with Violet.  She needs more pace, and I just can't figure that out.  And where we were at the time, there really wasn't anywhere to gallop, so instead, Marcy would go out on the trails in one of the State Parks and do her conditioning there.

So she brought me out there to try out this galloping thing.  Now, whenever I have gone on trails with the group in the past, it always ends up Violet and I in the back.  When everyone else trots, she canters.  When they walk, she alternates between prance and trot, in fear of being left behind.

We got out there, mounted up, walked a ways, me behind the little horse with the BIG walk that Marcy was riding.  Then we trotted a bit.  We talked about my need to let go.  To not be so worried about where Violet places her feet, but to stay out of her way so she could figure it out herself.  We started to canter.  Violet was playing a bit of catch up, but Marcy was not running away, so it wasn't too bad.  Then we were walking along and Marcy points down a trail and says "go canter that way".  And so I do.  That day was exhilarating.  We cantered off, and I just let her go.  The other horse came up from behind, you know, pony and all, and Violet kicked into a gear I didn't even know existed.

At the end of the ride, Marcy had me canter away from her and away from the trailer, and then after a while turn and come back.  Again, on the trip back, there was a gear there that I couldn't fathom.  I think that is the only time I have truly just let go and let Violet figure out what was coming next and what speed she wanted to go.  And while it was terrifying, it was really fun.

This was a different trail ride, but it was still fun once I got over the fact that she Will prance...