Riding Lesson 3/22/09
Today we both rode on Parelli pads (which is a sueded bareback pad for the non-horsey types). Jonathan rode Stitch, a quarter horse who has mostly been used as a trail horse. I rode Dreamy again, whom I rode a few times back at Cavallo Rossi. We didn't use bridles, just rope halters and lead-rope reins. Once we'd warmed up, we learned about using the indirect rein to have the horse move her hindquarters, rather than her fore-quarters, to turn. First we did it from a standstill, then we took turns walking down the length of the ring (a small dirt ring inside a barn, maybe a 20 M ring), with an indirect rein turn at one end, and a direct rein turn at the other. We're still working on using our bodies, rather than leg aides or the reins, to direct the horse, and I'm still trying to get the horse to modulate her speed through my energy, but that's very hard for me. At the very end of the lesson J & I both did "around the world" which was a first for us both. :)