The mare is, indeed, a mare

 Ok, so let me start off by staying that: 1) I have no media.  Boy at home mopping = no media; and 2) I kill all electronics.  We have a new microphone system, which we thought would be fantastic for the screaming winds.  It was pretty good (lots of wind noise) but about 3/4 of the way into my lesson, I shorted it out. Worked fine when Marcea was holding it, but as soon as I put the battery pack in my pocket or clipped it to my vest, it turned off.  Yeah, I'm good like that.

So, as I alluded to earlier, this was a lesson in patience.  Violet was not feeling it.  She was doing everything she could to not listen.  Of course, she had lots of other things to pay attention to, including but not limited to: new horses on the property (lots of them), a Leslie Law clinic in the jumping ring, 25 mph winds, and 40 degree temps.  To combat that, we basically went directly to work at the walk to warm up.  This meant leg yielding and circles.  Anything to get her to pay attention to me, not the horses jumping in the jumping ring. She really wasn't horrible, but was just being a girl.

When we moved on to the trot, we actually had some pretty good lateral work.  She spooked a bit at the ring boards that were stacked next to one end of the ring, but I actually counterbent her towards them to give her a look and then brought her back into the center going around the corner, which seemed to work pretty well.  Even more cool was that I did that myself without being told, and was complimented on it.  I guess I'm finally building up some instinct for dealing with her silliness.  She had only been going past those boards in that ring for a week.

The issues really popped up when we went to canter.  We were trying a new approach, where I was to go forward at the canter if she gave me any grief.  To the left, she was actually quite good.  Push her into the canter, carry the hands, and she relaxes into the bridle and gave me some really nice balanced canter.  To the right, she likes to hop into it.  I would say it's a buck and a scoot, but it really isn't a buck, just a series of hops.  So a hop and a scoot.  But if I pushed her into it, she gave up on that after a could of strides and gave some nice canter there, too.  But she did it every...single...time to the right.

After we did the left and the right, we ran into an issue.  To the right, I couldn't get her to trot.  I could get her to trot about 3 steps, then she would pop back into canter as soon as I put any leg on her to get her to push into the trot.  At first, Marcea said to just let her keep cantering, then.  If she doesn't want to listen, she can work harder, and we can work some of that out of her.  Yeah...not today, she said.  Finally we just had to halt.  Get her back at the halt and let her think a minute.  She did halt for a few seconds.  And then she stuck her nose straight up in the air and started backing up.  I had to kick her to get her to go forward.

After that, she decided she was just done.  You could pretty much hear her saying "screw you, you want me to react to leg, how about this shit!" as she halfpassed her way around a circle.  We did get some more canter out of her as we worked through her little snit.  And then we got some good trot, and at the end a beautiful leg yield from the center line when I was changing direction through a tear-drop loop.

The issue with Violet is that she is a girl who so wants to please.  And she wants you to be clear and concise with how you ask.  And she is a girl.  I am not always clear and concise.  Her little brain goes into overload. And she is a girl.  Oh my god, is she a girl.

Anyway, a few takeaways from this weekend's lesson:

• Ride horse from back to front.  Need to figure out how to ride the whole horse.  
• If the girl is distracted, do lateral work. 
• When she gets bouncy up down arguing, go forward.  
• If forward is what she wants to do, stop and let her take a break, then go forward.  
• If she gets nasty at the canter, go forward.  
• Apparently, forward is always the answer.  
• If she gives a perfect canter depart, don't shoot her forward.  
• To keep forward at the canter moooove the bit and use leg with the lead.

You will never hear me say that I had a bad lesson.  Any time I get the opportunity to get on and ride is an opportunity to learn, and that is what I am paying for.  So there are no bad lessons.  Actually, the tougher lessons are usually the ones I learn the most in.  That being said, this was not a fun lesson.  Insightful, but not fun.  Especially when I get to ride so infrequently right now.  But it is all laying the groundwork, and I can say that I wasn't scared.  There was a time not too long ago when I would have been afraid of how Vi would react with all that going on, and I was not scared.  I was determined that she was going to listen to me and that we were not going to play silly games the few times I get to ride.  Marcy even noticed and commented on it.  

This coming weekend is Rocking Horse Winter I where I will, again, be jump judging on Saturday.  Not sure if I'm going to be able to ride at all.  It all depends on when I get done judging.

Weekend update

First I want to say how much I was thinking of all of you in colder climes that were impacted by the Snowmageddon this past weekend.  I know some of you were really impacted.  I know in Allentown, where my mother's family lives, they got record snows.

View from front porch of my mother's cousin's house in Allentown

While here in Florida, the newscasters thought the world would end, because we got flurries.  Yep, flurries. The kind that your camera can barely pick up, and you aren't quite sure if it's misty rain, or actually snow. Of course, we get them every 5 years or so.  It's not that big a deal.  We do get cold here, since we basically live in South Georgia.  It's not like Jacksonville is close to Miami.  

Anyway, we did get cold.  Cold enough that the boy decided he would rather stay home and clean the floors than go with me.  It's ok, he would have whined about being cold the whole time.  He's not used to anything cold enough to put on a long sleeved shirt.  And to tell the truth, it was pretty miserable.

Violet was...herself.  She is...impacted...by the influx of new horses and activity on the property.  Don't get me wrong, she's not bad.  She's just being a girl.  She wants to call to everyone and know what everyone is doing and OMG I DON'T KNOW THAT HORSE.  

What's going on over there!?!

I would have thought after 3 weeks she would have been glad to see me, but she couldn't be bothered to leave her hay net to say hello.

Between the cold, the new horses and people, the wind blowing 25 mph and Leslie Law giving a clinic in the jumping ring (young riders, I think?) there was plenty for the girl to focus on that wasn't me.  So our lesson was a bit...challenging.  You will never hear me say that I had a bad lesson, because as long as I learn something, they are all good.  But I can say it wasn't really a fun lesson.  I will give a full write-up of that in a couple of days.  But let's say it was a lesson on patience.

After the lesson, I put the pony away, snugged her in her blankets to be turned out for the night, gave her an apple and headed home.  Where I promptly curled up under a blanket and admired the newly cleaned floors.

I can has apple now, hooman.

Friday update

One of the auditors here at work asked me, innocently enough, "So, are you able to ride now with your foot?"  See, I am the typical horse person.  There is very little else that IS for the typical horse person, so there is very little else that is discussed.

Of course I replied with "Why yes, I can ride, when I actually GET there."

He then remembered that she is a couple of hours away and inquired as to who takes care of her when I'm not there.

I decided that I'm like an empty-nester.  Violet is my child, and she has left me to go to college.  She will gladly visit with me and show me all she has learned, and I will, like so many other parents, plead ignorance since she now knows way more than I do.

I gladly hand my precious cargo over to someone who can educate her further than I can.  And some day I plan to reap those benefits.  Today, however, is not that day.

I have remained quiet this week as we are in the heaviest portion of our busy season.  I have not ridden in three weeks, which is why there isn't much posting.  I'm sure you all don't want to hear me whine about working a lot.  We all know we do this in order to afford our little "hobby", and I know I am luckier than a lot of people.  However, that ends this weekend.  I will ride Saturday even if it kills me.

And it very well might.  I'm sure you all have heard about the big nasty storm on the east coast.  Being in Florida, I don't have to deal with the snow or ice or subfreezing temps for days or anything.  What I am looking at is cloudy, not quite 50 and 25 mile an hour winds.  Doesn't sound like much for you dealing with freezing pipes and water buckets, but I'm not exactly prepared for it clothing wise.  At least we got a wireless audio system so I should be able to hear ok.  When the wind whistles through the ear holes in my helmet, I have to turn my head funny in order to understand the instructions, so that will be nice.

I have started working out twice a week with some people from work.  By working out, at this point I mean alternating between the recumbent bike and the treadmill at a slowish walk.  It is amazing the amount of condition I have lost through all this.  My foot seems to be handling it ok, so that's good.  Looks like I'm past the worst of it now.  And the amount of weight I have gained (sigh).  Back to the drawing board on all of it. I would really like to look decent in my wedding pictures later this year.

On that note, I have contacted a place for the wedding.  It looks like Little Log Chapel in Gatlinburg has won my vote for location.  Far enough away that I can keep it small.  Pretty grounds. Packages that cover basically everything, except for a reception, which I will probably do at home anyway.  November 5, 2016.

And the boy starts working at Lowe's Monday.  Not really the job he wanted, but the one that is available and it's a good company.  He could decide he really likes it.  We'll see.  He just needs to stay in it for a while so we can get some financial stuff taken care of.

Alive and kicking

Sorry for the radio silence.  Work is kind of kicking my ass right now.  This was the weekend that we spend in the office finalizing numbers and getting things ready for the auditors.  We had so much in the way of strange big new deals this year that the reporting is proving a challenge.

Anyway, it's cold here.  Yes, I live in Florida.  Yes, it still gets cold here.  Since we are in north Florida, it gets colder than people anticipate.  This morning it was 29.  People are thinking the world will end because it's the low 50's for a high.  This is my favorite kind of riding weather.  I could actually maybe wear long sleeve and a vest!  Yes, I am one of those that will start with a jacket and end up taking it off to ride, even in 45 degree weather.

I am looking forward to getting a ride in this weekend.  I have been getting regular updates.  Everyone is moving along in their goals this year.  Marcy took Riley out a couple weekends ago and had a good learning experience with him, and Ginny is making her Novice debut at the end of the month.  My goal right now is just to get on my pony, who apparently, besides being perfect, has also gotten a haircut.

Oh, and I contacted a venue about wedding dates.  And went looking at wedding bands with the boy.  Did you know people don't do matching wedding rings anymore?  For some reason that makes me sad.

So I'll leave you with this:

Rough and Tumble

I don't know that the beginnings of my riding were any different from anyone else's.  I do know exactly how it all started, and I know who I can thank for giving me a foundation once I settled on truly making this my "thing".

When I was 11, I found a barn across the road from my middle school and convinced my mother I needed lessons, since my pony was off for training.  The farm was owned by Lisa Williamson.  This is the woman who gave me my beginning, and she must be 85 or so now. Last I heard, she was still training students in the Gainesville area.  And she looks exactly the same.

At the time, she leased a large piece of land across from the middle school, fenced with barbed wire.  There was a hay barn, but other than that, she was not allowed to put fixed buildings on the property.  The horses were all turned out together.  At meal times, they came to the center of the property where she had a series of open stalls, kind of like tiny corrals under a copse of trees, and filed into their respective places.

The tack was housed in the trunks of two broken down cars.  The car keys were stashed in the hay barn.

This place was the definition of "rough and tumble".

And it was the place that gave me a foundation and a sense of fearlessness.

Lessons consisted of all the things that all kids do:  Around the World, working without stirrups, tons of half-seat work.  This was quite literally riding by the seat of our pants.  No one cared about stirrup length.  You set your stirrups to where you felt comfortable and that's where it went.  After we went in circles for 20 minutes in the ring, those that were advanced enough would do the fences that were set up around the OUTside of the ring.  There was no ring jumping.  It was all in the field, and all the fences had developed craters under them, because the fences never moved.  The poles may have been set up or down, but the fences themselves didn't move.

Me (left) on Tharp (TB), my friend on Hunter (TB).

If you were good, Lisa would let you follow her out to the field where she would "breeze" one of her many thoroughbred's.  We didn't know what this really meant or why she was doing it, because she certainly didn't race.  Turns out that she was doing gallop sets with her eventer.

Me and Tharp in an Equitation class.

In that group I went from walk-trot-canter to jumping 2'6" quite successfully in the local show series we had. We did tandem hunter classes when we could, because how much fun is that!  I won Novice Equitation the first time I entered, on one of her thoroughbred horses.  I don't remember braiding, and I wore gum rubber boots.  But we had fun.

Tandem hunter, me in front.

Tandem hunter after the switch at halfway.

We made fun of her mercilessly.  She was built a lot like me back then.  Short and round.  But she didn't let it stop her.  She always had her hair meticulessly curled, and a full face of makeup.  She gave not one shit about what anyone else thought about her situation.  She had her horses who were healthy, well cared for, and her students knew how to actually ride.

I rode with her for about two years before the call of the expensive show barn came to me, but there were no hard feelings from Lisa.  She knew her part was to get you started and send you on your way.

When I started riding again as an adult, I went to a show in the Gainesville area.  That night I called my mom and told her I could have sworn I saw Lisa.  She said that couldn't be, the woman would be like 80.  She was right.  And so was I.

My first lesson at the barn in Gainesville in 2008 with Denna, I was shocked to look over and see Lisa giving up-down lessons in the next ring.  It turns out that my worlds had collided a bit when I was gone in that she started working with the trainer of the shiny show barn that I left her for when I was 13.

Denna tells a story of going to Lisa's to try a horse.  She had a bad fall over fences in which she actually broke both clavicles.  Lisa told her to suck it up and that she wasn't driving her to the hospital.  So Denna had to get herself in the truck, drive to the end of the property, get out and open the gate, drive through, get back out and close the gate.  Lisa was the definition of rough and tumble.

She knew who I was.  She had not forgotten me.  When she saw me in a walk-trot class with Violet a couple of years later, she stood on the rail and told me to get out of the ring, I was a way better rider than that.  That is just Lisa's way.

I would have to say I am so grateful I got to ride at that rough and tumble place.  It had no name, it was just Lisa Williamson's place.  But it was there that I developed a seat and a sense of balance.  It was there that I would run to after school with my girlfriends.  It was there that I jumped my first fence, and who I went to my first jumping show with.   It was there that I grew up a little bit.

Throat Punch Thursday

I have a great post lined up, but didn't get the media taken care of this morning.  But today is the last day of close for my company so I'll just leave you all with this:

Lottery Dreams

Yes, I am a lottery player.  When I started in my current position, the entire Financial Reporting team participated in a pool and told me I could not join because they were already full.  I pitched a fit (yes, I do sometimes revert to the age of 5) until they allowed me to join.  Basically, I am not going to be the only one left behind when they win.

When I worked in Institutional Finance (career #1 of 3 so far) at a major company, our secretary (yes, yes, they are now known as administrative assistants, although she would have hollered if you called her that then. She was proud of her job as secretary!) called in rich one day.  Her son had won the lottery and she was retiring immediately.  We could send anything personal from her desk to her home address or throw it away. Either way, she wasn't coming back.  I aspire to be her one day.

At $1.5 billion dollars, even splitting it 11 ways, I think I would have enough to quit.  Or at least work on my own terms.  I used to say I would always work, at least part time.  As I get older, the more I think "yeah right!".  I will always work, but I will not always work in an office on someone else's terms.  I mean, that would be about $136 million a person.  Even with taxes, I could take a lump sum payout of something like $40 million.  (yes, I overestimate taxes and lump fees.  It makes everything seem like a bonus!)  What would I do with that money?

• I would pay off my truck.  It's less than $2K, but hey, I like that truck.  And I would get the back light fixed and the dent from my tree incident pulled.  I'd pay off all my debt.  I'd pay off the boy's truck, sell it and get him his jeep.  I'd buy my older brother a little place for him or give him the house I just bought, and get my mom a car, since her truck is 30+ years old (not kidding).  

Very good rendition of Mom's truck

• I would watch the boy get back into road biking and support him from the sidelines.  I'd put him through school for whatever he wants to do next.  I'd help him figure out what his passion is and then figure out how to make that work for him.

Road biking

• I would get myself a rig.  Something I could travel in with the ponies.  I may not even show them, but I would be able to take them wherever I want, and take a shower afterwards!  I think that is my idea of luxury.  To have at my disposal the ability to go where I want and take a shower when I'm done.  To not have to sleep on the sofa in someone else's trailer, or beg to share a room with someone in a cheap motel where I won't sleep because I'm worried I'll snore.

Yes please.  And a truck to haul it.

• I would buy land.  Lots of it.  In North Florida, because I can't think of anywhere else I should be.  Maybe not too far from the beach.  I would pay someone ridiculous money to come and build a cross country course for all levels, rings for all uses, barns, housing for persons who work there, etc.  I would turn it into the home of Market Street Equestrian and simply be the financial person and accountant, who may be called upon to occasionally muck stalls. I would bring in clinicians of all disciplines to teach at the farm.  I would put a trailer on the back of the property for my mother, because that has always been her dream.

This might work.

• I would be an owner.  An owner for people of varying levels; professionals, kids, etc. I would own for other people, so they could follow their dreams.  I love the ponies, but I am not competitive.  There is nothing I like better than to cheer on the people I know that are following their dreams. Violet would be given the chance to find a girl who would love to compete with her, which is what I intended when I bought her in the first place, and I would cheer for her like the mother that I was always meant to be.  

• I would volunteer every chance I could.  I would go from Rocking Horse to Ocala to Red Hills and Chat Hills.  I'd volunteer at Rolex and then at WEG in Bromont.  I would chase points for volunteering.  I would volunteer in multiple positions and not just jump judge; bit check, scribe, runner, timer, etc.   

October jump judging

• I would lease myself a schoolmaster to teach me how to do this thing called cross country to help me decide once and for all if I want to be an eventer.  I would ride a reiner because I think that would be cool.  I would go on a ride at the beach.  I would go to another country and ride a horse there.  I would do some competitive trail riding.  I would hill-top.  I would basically do all the things, just because I could.

Bucket list item.  Just not with Violet.

So that's what I would do with my share if I won the lottery.  Maybe I should go buy some more tickets...

Yeah, I got nothing

The new year has started, and with it, busy season.  For a financial reporting guru like myself, that means accounting guidance.  Imagine a legal document filled with number stuff.  Yeah, it's that exciting.  So while I force myself to look up one more ASC (Accounting Standard Codification, if you must know) requirement, I'll just leave you with these. 

Maybe tonight I'll manage to get the camera out to take pictures of something to talk about.

Have a great Tuesday!

Mounting Block Woes

A couple of things to start.  I am not young.  I am short.  I am also...round. 

I had a groom once ask me if I liked riding the little horses, since you know, pony.  My response was I like them like me, short and round.  And maybe a little sassy, but that's besides the point.

The point is, I am long past the days of mounting from the ground.   I am no longer concerned about testing for equitation classes which might involve getting on and off without assistance.  I would not put my poor horse's back through that.  I'm also a bit past asking for a leg up.  That would certainly result in back injuries for the person(s) attempting to hoist me onto said pony.

That leaves mounting blocks.

Funny story.  Before I went back to riding as an adult, a friend rode his horses through the neighborhood to the house and asked if I would like to ride.  Sure!  Um...how do I get on again?  Yes, step-ladder should work!

So I get out the ladder and then for some reason do not remember that, even if I have a ladder, I still have to put my foot in the stirrup to get on.  I swear, the things we forget in 20 years.  I never did get on that day because I could not get myself from the ladder to the horse's back.  In Western tack, mind you.

When traveling, we have to go small.  We have a small step stool that we call the stool of death.  There is no picture that does it justice.  I am grateful I have a fairly patient pony that Marcy has spent a lot of time teaching to stand still when being mounted.  Depending on whose trailer we are in, we also have a small plastic one available at times.  This creates great hilarity and usually requires someone to stand on the off side and hold my stirrup as I clamber up the side of the pony, in hopes that I don't pull the saddle all the way over.  And of course, you could always use an overturned muck bucket.  If you don't cave it in (see roundness referred to above).

When I went back to my childhood trainer, she had the premium mounting block set-up.  It was basically a set of house trailer stairs.  I could get on bareback with no effort, forget the stirrups!  Not only could I get on, but I could get off as well.  Handy when I was riding the 17.2 hand ex-3* horse in my weekly lessons, or when I wanted to go for a bareback ride.

Imagine this without the railing.

I have had some variation of this set-up for half of the barns I've been at.  The last two, not so much. We use the standard two step mounting block.  It is all of 19" tall, which does not offer much for short legs that are not as limber as they used to be.  And yes, I understand I am on the shortest horse.  Doesn't matter, it's still problematic for me.  I have taken to turning it up on end in order to gain an extra 2 inches.  It makes a difference.  It has also landed me underneath my very patient pony when I fell off of it (resulting in much laughter, since there was no injury).  I dream of the day when I have a little extra money to buy the team a three step block.  So much joy would be had.

Standard

In the meantime, does anyone out there have some willing participants to make up a portable mounting block like the one below?

Foot update

Been a while since I've done one of these.

7 weeks post surgery - at least it no longer looks like it's a cadaver foot

The foot is healing.  Slowly.  It feels like I have a bruise on the ball of my foot all the time, and the feeling of socks bunched up under my toes hasn't gone away, but it is healing.  I bought new shoes to wear to work that go up further on my foot.  They aren't sexy, but they are fairly comfortable, although all week, I have had to walk around work with one shoe on and one sock.  I thought about going back to the surgery shoe, but it has a strap that goes right across the incision line.  There is no shoe in the world that does not somehow impact that area.

1 week post surgery

The biggest problem I'm having right now is the incision still hasn't healed.  Any shoes (including my riding boots) hurt.  It gets wet when I'm in the shower, so I end up walking around all evening with no sock on that foot trying to get it to dry out.  I even had to walk around the party barefoot.  When the weather was warmer, this was not as much of an issue, but it's getting colder now, and a good portion of my house is floored in tile.  COLD tile.

Anyway, it is healing.  It's not infected, and my mother (the retired nurse) says it's fine and I'm doing what I should, but damnit, I would really like to have a normal foot again.  And to be able to put on socks without putting on a bandaid first.  And since we're talking about dreams, I would appreciate it if that third toe went back to where it's supposed to be.  And the second toe has turned into a hammer toe, which is problematic.  Sorry to be crass, but this shit is getting old.  I'm over it.  I know I will probably never be able to wear heels again, but good lord, there are cute flats.  I can't wear those either.

The doctor said I would have minimal numbness, but I'm waiting for it to be minimal.  Right now, basically both of those toes are numb.  And that makes for a very strange sensation when walking.  Is this what a horse feels like when it's been nerved?

I know in the scheme of things, I am lucky because, you know, pony, love, house, job, etc., but good god, I am tired of hurting all the time.  Ok, whining over.

New Year barn gathering

Market Street is an anomaly.  Since almost all of the core team lives two hours away from the farm, we end up crashing at Marcy's house.  She and her husband are most gracious in making room for us all.  And providing food.  And beverages.  Lots of beverages.  Everyone brings their dogs, and it's a mini party almost every weekend.  This weekend was a bit of an exception.  There was no mini about it this time.

We had 13 people total, which was the core team of four riders, a few neighbors, and some long time supporters of Marcea that are in for a few months and staying at Rocking Horse.

The horse grouping around the table.

Ginny slaved over the stove all day, making chili, cornbread, and mushroom risotto.  Marcy got it started with apricot, almond brie and various bean dips and chips.  Melissa brought a veggie tray.  The libations were flowing freely.  I helped out in the kitchen and spent a lot of time holding puppies or babies, whichever needed current attention.

At dinner, the group separated, as is usual, into the horse people and the spouses.  The horse people sat chatting, drinking and eating at the dining table.  The spouses ate at the bar and then retired outside to the firepit.

The night ended later than usual.  By the time we were done, there were open-mouthed kisses between babies and dogs, boys were jumping over fire, and puppies were hiding out in their rooms hoping for a little quiet.

Eli soooo tired.

It was, without a doubt, one of the funnest impromptu gatherings I have been to in a long time.  When I woke up at 6 to head back to the barn to feed and decide if we were riding or not, my head let me know why I don't do this often.  Only thing that could have made it better is if I had had warning and had brought the boy.

And due to the rain, there was no riding on Sunday.  Or at least, that's what we told ourselves...

First lesson in 2016

We had our first lesson of the new year on Saturday.  The initial plan was to lesson both Saturday and Sunday, which would usually mean flat on Saturday and jumping on Sunday, but the weather was iffy on Sunday, so we started with jumping.

When I left on Wednesday, I said to the boy that Violet was about to lose her little pony brain a bit.  New Year's would mark the beginning of the rush of riders coming to Rocking Horse for the season.  By the time the season starts, all stalls will be full.  I think that's like 140 stalls or something.  That's a lot of horses.  A lot of commotion.  Our guys have had the property to themselves since the end of last season, so it will be an adjustment.

Violet teases Riley terribly

I got on Violet and we headed out to walk part of the cross country field before our lesson.  She was...scattered.  Looking looking looking.  There may have been a couple of spooks.  Or she may have simply tripped a bit because she was paying attention to everything other than her feet.  It's hard to tell on her sometimes.

Since I didn't know what we were doing lesson wise, I simply started schooling at the walk and a little at the trot between the jump ring and the dressage rings while I waited for Marcy to come back up.  The cows across the street were out, so that was a distraction.  There were unknown horses and riders doing things, so that was a distraction.  She felt a bit like she was going to jump out of her skin.

Marcy showed up and directed us to the jump ring.  We started on one end warming up with some flatwork, continuing with some of the same work we had been doing Wednesday.  Changes of direction and transitions that are random give the pony something to pay attention to other than everyone else.

Then someone came in the ring and asked if they could school over some fences while we were on the end. They were not in our way, so that wasn't an issue.  And amazingly enough, Violet didn't care at all.  By that time, she had put her training hat on and was working quite well.

When it came to the canter, we worked on it a bit differently.  We had done the circles and leg yielding into it in the past.  This time we walked to the fenceline and kind of half passed with Violet's head on the fenceline and haunches in the ring (red), then straightened, went to a light sitting trot (blue).  Once that was established, we cantered on the circle (purple).  Then came back down to the walk, went back to the fenceline and did it the other direction.  You can kind of see what I mean in the fantastic rendering below.

Craptastic drawing.  What?  I'm an accountant...

I had to concentrate on doing this quietly, as Violet always wants to anticipate the movements after we do it the first time.  We did this several times each direction until she was really listening.

After a short walk-break, we started doing our exercise above, but on the canter circle, we cantered over a raised pole.  My primary goal was to get the outside shoulder on the path to the center of the pole.  That way our distance was there.  This was no problem.  We did it both directions, then the pole was raised until it was a small vertical.  From there we circled to a big cross rail.  We did that both directions a few times, then put the two of them together, all working on that shoulder, and remaining quiet, and not bracing. Keeping the lines of communication open.  Violet was great.  At the end, we put together about 6 fences into a little twisty course, all the time working on that outside shoulder.  Violet was a superstar!

At the end of the lesson, Marcy had a big grin.  For the first time ever I made it through an entire jumping lesson without missing a distance on a single fence!  They were not all the same distance, but I was never once left behind, I never had to play catch up, and it was all the result of putting that shoulder where it needed to be.  And I was able to do that because I am finally able to feel what I need to do.  I am very excited to see if I can repeat this in future lessons.

Marcy says this is what I need to be able to replicate in the cross country field.  WHEN I am ready to do that again.  If things keep going the way they are, that isn't all that far away, I don't think.  (I may have put my safety vest in the truck, just in case).  In the meantime, I would LOVE to get to some dressage and jumper shows.  I don't think that is plausible, since I don't have a trailer and no one else has plans to go, but I really would love to see where I stand against other people.

Tired pony asks Marcy if she has apple now?

And then this morning I got a text from Marcy that says "Pony did drop bank into water like a pro this am." I'm thinking the move back to cross country might be coming sooner than I think.

Last lesson in 2015

So last Wednesday I headed down to Rocking Horse to have my last lesson in 2015.  Of course, it would be a flat lesson.  But, as I think I've said before, I like those.  We had so much trouble in the beginning that it is such a treat for me to do flat lessons on her now.  I think this dressage stuff is pretty cool.

The big dressage ring was being drug, and Marcy was afraid they would decide to drag the smaller rings next, so we were going to start off in the grass and then move to the big ring when they got done.  They did not get done, so my whole lesson was in the grass between the rings.  Not a problem, this is where we warm up for the schooling shows anyway, and I have to know how to ride her with or without footing, on uneven turf, with or without a fence.

We started as usual, with lots of transitions in the walk, walk up, collect, halt, all the time moving moving moving the bit.  Not see-sawing, moving.  Or even just thinking about moving.

We changed her bit so she goes in a boucher now.  She seems to react well in it, she still softens into the bit.  I am still able to push her into it, but she doesn't chew through it.  This does not mean that she does not continually grab it, but that is was the moving is for.

I've been working a lot on putting on more leg pressure so I can use more hand pressure.  The more I have to move, the more leg I have to use.  This has been an ongoing issue with me.  Violet for years told me that leg is bad and I actually listened to her.  Instead, the cheeky redhead needs MORE leg than others. Getting that through my head is an ongoing process.

We have bend!  And I need to work on getting shoulders up and back and left hand up.

She responded pretty well.  We got some beautiful walk work, then moved on to trot.  In the trot work, we did a lot of counter bending, especially to the right when tracking left, in order to get the right shoulder under her.  We also worked a lot on getting the back legs to step up under her.  I have been working on this with Marcy for a long time, but I can say that for the first time, I am really beginning to understand the feeling of it. Not only that, I am beginning to recognize when I need to use those skills.  To be a more thinking, independent rider.

Awkward up post shot. 

From that we worked on sitting trot to canter.  I got some really nice canter from her this time.  The right has always been more comfortable for me, but I'm finally getting some from the canter.

Actually getting the back legs under and getting some reach in the front.

I did hear a lot of "separate your core from your arms and legs".  Unfortunately, my core seems to have disappeared over the winter, but I will find it again.

So it was a fantastic lesson.  I really feel like I am continuing to progress as a rider, and we are continuing to progress as a team.  I was worried with her moving so far away and me only getting to ride weekly that my progress would stagnate, but I really don't think it has.  And I'm doubly impressed that I can feel that when I've only ridden twice since the end of October!

And we continue to work on the halt.  

On another note, the boy needs more instruction on taking pictures.  He took 5.  Total.  For my entire hour lesson.  And none of me cantering.  I have no idea what he was doing besides sitting in the golf cart, but he certainly wasn't doing his job.  We did have a discussion about why I want pictures.  Not because I need to look pretty, but because I have no concept of what I look like and would like to see it so I know what I need to work on.  Like, I still need to work on sitting up straight and not dropping my hands, as is obvious from the pictures he did take.