Lots of lesson info

Yeah, if I thought it would get better after the wedding was over, I was sorely mistaken.  Life marches on, along with kid visitations, birthday, Holloween, work demands, illnesses, and receptions.  I am looking forward to...I don't know...Christmas maybe?  I might be able to take a breath then?

Anyway, I ended up with a sinus infection last week, so had a forced day off, which I guess was good.  Saturday on the way back from visitation with the kiddos, the boy started with a head cold, but appears to be getting out of it after a couple crappy days.

The good news is I have managed to get in some terrific lessons, and this post is all about this.  Lots of words.

Dressage

• Be adamant about getting the result that I ask for, don't nag
• From the BEGINNING of the ride
• Make sure I keep the communication working between both reins
• The more inattentive the pony is, the more movement between the reins
• GIVE on the first stride up into a new gait
• Take the time to set up for the canter transition in the test, especially after the diagonal
• If I have to blow a movement to get the pony back, do it.  Don't let it escalate and take down the whole test.
• Push into the halt

Basically, we ran through the test.  As usual, the two movements I have issues with are the right lead canter after the diagonal, and putting her back together from the free walk.  Other than that, I feel pretty good.  We'll see how she feels on Friday when I school with everyone else in the world around.

Because what's a pony blog without the pony!

Stadium

• Stay forward to the fence
• Use the counter bend on the turns to balance for the fence
• Remember to put the outside shoulder on the line to the fence I would like to take
• The first fence will have to be ridden harder than anticipated
• Make sure to keep head up and heel under hip
• Concentrate on not allowing the leg to swing forward when I sit the canter a couple of strides before the fence

This, especially the leg position, was a continuation of many lessons.  We set up actual courses and went outside the ring and started like it was a real course.  When I got done with the first course, my first words were "well, that was a shit show".  So we did a different course.  That time, my brain was screwed on and we did much much better.

This past weekend, I made a deal with the boy that we would stop at the farm on the way to Clearwater so I could get in that one last cross country school before the course designers showed up and the course was really closed.  It meant getting up at 5:30 after the boy closed the night before, which resulted in him sleeping in the car and not getting to see my awesomeness, but I did get in that much needed last school, even with a sinus infection.

This part has the best grass.

Cross Country

• Get a good gallop going from the start box
• If there is any playing, stop it as soon as it starts
• If there is a missed distance, prop, etc, make sure to ride the next fence that much harder

During this school, she was a bit up.  Marcy says mostly because she was alone.  We had a little bucky, bucky playtime while going over the mound, but I managed to get over it, stop it and go on to the next fence.  We also had a runout, which was probably fantastic. There is a fence that they are calling the wishing well that looks like an intro to a trekahner, hanging log over a base thing.  It was not actually pulled out to be ridden, but was pretty much facing a tree one stride out.  I was to cut around the tree and slice over the fence at an angle (not something I do.  I like straight.  Must be the hunter rider in me), since we know it will be on the course this weekend. Yeah, I got to it and kind of said "oh god, take the wheel" and Violet said, "whee, let's go around it!" It was a good reminder that I actually have to ride every fence, especially those I'm not sure of.  Several of the fences have been repainted and now look different, so I have to take that in account as well.  The good news is that, on the second try, she sailed right over it.  We are both confident and ready for this. I have to say, I think I'm actually looking forward to doing this!

And then on Sunday, after driving to Clearwater Friday and back with a sick man on Saturday, still on antibiotics from the sinus infection, I drove back down for another stadium lesson on Sunday.  

A cool sunrise in the morning.  Violet in her sheet on the right, Finn on the left at his gate.

Stadium

• Establish the forward stride
• Continue the communication between the reins to keep her paying attention, especially when she is distracted
• Make sure, if I move up into a line, that I establish the canter again on the backside of the line
• Keep that leg underneath of me and not in front
• Keep the head up and looking a quarter of the way ahead
• Weight in the outside stirrup around turns
• Counterbend around the corners
• Lighter inside rein on the turns

The quarter ahead.  This means a quarter of the way around a circle, a quarter of the way down the line, etc.  It is simply a way to remind myself to look forward to whatever is next.  This stadium practice was in the grass field, and Violet was distracted, which was good practice.  We worked on ridability doing a figure 8 around a small fence, then moved on to the coursework.  Violet was jumping out of her skin!  Marcy says she's jumping like a horse that really likes her job, and it felt like it.  Yes, she gets a little head tossy sometimes, but is listening for the most part, if I remember the rules.  We are learning the different gears, and I am learning to trust myself.  My first instinct is beginning to be to go forward, not pull, and I'm getting better at going with that instinct.  

We finished up the last two weekends of lessons with a confident rider and a confident pony.  I think we are as ready as we are going to get.