today is my Friday
and thank the good Lord that it is, I'm SO ready for this week to be over!
Rode Mac yesterday in the wind (what else is new?). He got tired near the end (we're working on getting that stifle back into shape, now that he's sound!), and started hanging on my hands. Which is FINE if you're in the AQHA huntseat classes, but NOT fine if you'd like to show your horse dressage. So I had to give him some 'reminders' with my inside leg/spur that he had to carry himself, even when he's tired, and rehabbing. And then he got all tense in his neck, and then I got all tense in my arms... ughhhh... finally he gave me about 3 steps that were light, and I took it. It's just an awkward stage -- he's feeling better to use his old tricks to try to avoid being bent and through, but not quite fit enough for me to really do any big degree of collection or exercises or circles to work through that stuff yet. I hate when he gets all higgly-jigglty, and then I get all stiff in response. This horse teaches me again and again that the more things go wrong/get braced, the stiffer and bracier I get as a rider. I FINALLY just forced myself to almost ride as if he were being good. I sat with my chest up, arms loose, consciously loosened my wrists, opened up my hips a little, stretched down with my leg, turned my inside shoulder slighly back, and he was much better. (as opposed to the riding equivalent of the fetal position that I often adopt..) I had to whack him again with the inside spur, but this finally gave us the 3 better steps to end on. I need to work on riding consistenly, even when he's pushing my buttons. We're starting leg yields and a few circles now. Things really are progressing well -- I can post consistently on the correct diagonal as long as I switch directions constantly. We practice a LOT of changes of bend through X right now. Trisha has been stressing the need for me to ride with more purpose, expectation, and precision. I'm trying to do that with all of the horses, Ella included (although it's a little harder with the precision thing with her, it will inevitably get better) My canter transitions on Lacey are still... well... ummm... a work in progress. It's so funny. I've never had a problem with these until I started riding Lacey. Until I started to try to do them the right way (on a horse that expects a relatively precise cue instead of the typical 'slide my leg back haphazardly' thing with lower level horses. Or Ella. Where all I have to do is THINK canter). Then I was all over the place. My half-halt is too weak, or too long, or too mushed in with the cue to canter. Then I'm leaning back too far, or holding with my hands, or doing what I like to call the 'happy butt squeezy dance' in the saddle. We had one solid transition (still above the bridle, and not worthy of a first level dressage test, but an actual transition) that felt better for me, but I'm still struggling to recreate that feeling. And to keep my arms from bracing or throwing away the reins. It's like I can picture what my body should do, I'm having a tough time MAKING my body do that. Trish laughed at the end (when I was sighing at my own ineptitude) and asked 'did you think they were magically going to get better?'. Well, it sure would be NICE if they magically did get better. But no, I didn't really expect more than what happened (Haven't ridden Lacey a whole lot lately what with the hock/rib/ovary fiasco. Doesn't mean I can't wish the magical riding fairy would visit. I have a feeling things will get better with more lessons. =) They'd better, or I'm going to find that fairy, and kidnap her! SO glad that Lacey is back to her normal self now. Well worth the vet/chiro visits!
Leaving tonight for Minnesota. Get to meet the extended future-family. =) Here are some fun pictures for you. One is my kitty Pounce, looking very regal. The second is from last week when Kent and I went to see the 3-D movie Coraline. Kent looks like a sixty year old rich man, somehow. This week has been busy, but SO productive, so I can't really argue. I'm all caught up on my correspondence, which I thought might never happen. I'm also prepared enough to have packed a chapter to study for my certification test over the weekend. Oh and one thing I learned this week:
LaChoy soy sauce is WAYYYYYYYYYY saltier than Kikoman's LITE (reduced sodium). I made potstickers, and BOY HOWDY, I almost died. I normally use the reduced sodium soy sauce. It's PLENTY salty for me. Kent's mom had a bottle of LaChoy, and I think my eyes literally watered the sauce I made was so salty. We had to temper it with some lemon juice and sweet rice wine. It was tasty, but just something to think about next time! ;)
Rode Mac yesterday in the wind (what else is new?). He got tired near the end (we're working on getting that stifle back into shape, now that he's sound!), and started hanging on my hands. Which is FINE if you're in the AQHA huntseat classes, but NOT fine if you'd like to show your horse dressage. So I had to give him some 'reminders' with my inside leg/spur that he had to carry himself, even when he's tired, and rehabbing. And then he got all tense in his neck, and then I got all tense in my arms... ughhhh... finally he gave me about 3 steps that were light, and I took it. It's just an awkward stage -- he's feeling better to use his old tricks to try to avoid being bent and through, but not quite fit enough for me to really do any big degree of collection or exercises or circles to work through that stuff yet. I hate when he gets all higgly-jigglty, and then I get all stiff in response. This horse teaches me again and again that the more things go wrong/get braced, the stiffer and bracier I get as a rider. I FINALLY just forced myself to almost ride as if he were being good. I sat with my chest up, arms loose, consciously loosened my wrists, opened up my hips a little, stretched down with my leg, turned my inside shoulder slighly back, and he was much better. (as opposed to the riding equivalent of the fetal position that I often adopt..) I had to whack him again with the inside spur, but this finally gave us the 3 better steps to end on. I need to work on riding consistenly, even when he's pushing my buttons. We're starting leg yields and a few circles now. Things really are progressing well -- I can post consistently on the correct diagonal as long as I switch directions constantly. We practice a LOT of changes of bend through X right now. Trisha has been stressing the need for me to ride with more purpose, expectation, and precision. I'm trying to do that with all of the horses, Ella included (although it's a little harder with the precision thing with her, it will inevitably get better) My canter transitions on Lacey are still... well... ummm... a work in progress. It's so funny. I've never had a problem with these until I started riding Lacey. Until I started to try to do them the right way (on a horse that expects a relatively precise cue instead of the typical 'slide my leg back haphazardly' thing with lower level horses. Or Ella. Where all I have to do is THINK canter). Then I was all over the place. My half-halt is too weak, or too long, or too mushed in with the cue to canter. Then I'm leaning back too far, or holding with my hands, or doing what I like to call the 'happy butt squeezy dance' in the saddle. We had one solid transition (still above the bridle, and not worthy of a first level dressage test, but an actual transition) that felt better for me, but I'm still struggling to recreate that feeling. And to keep my arms from bracing or throwing away the reins. It's like I can picture what my body should do, I'm having a tough time MAKING my body do that. Trish laughed at the end (when I was sighing at my own ineptitude) and asked 'did you think they were magically going to get better?'. Well, it sure would be NICE if they magically did get better. But no, I didn't really expect more than what happened (Haven't ridden Lacey a whole lot lately what with the hock/rib/ovary fiasco. Doesn't mean I can't wish the magical riding fairy would visit. I have a feeling things will get better with more lessons. =) They'd better, or I'm going to find that fairy, and kidnap her! SO glad that Lacey is back to her normal self now. Well worth the vet/chiro visits!
Leaving tonight for Minnesota. Get to meet the extended future-family. =) Here are some fun pictures for you. One is my kitty Pounce, looking very regal. The second is from last week when Kent and I went to see the 3-D movie Coraline. Kent looks like a sixty year old rich man, somehow. This week has been busy, but SO productive, so I can't really argue. I'm all caught up on my correspondence, which I thought might never happen. I'm also prepared enough to have packed a chapter to study for my certification test over the weekend. Oh and one thing I learned this week:
LaChoy soy sauce is WAYYYYYYYYYY saltier than Kikoman's LITE (reduced sodium). I made potstickers, and BOY HOWDY, I almost died. I normally use the reduced sodium soy sauce. It's PLENTY salty for me. Kent's mom had a bottle of LaChoy, and I think my eyes literally watered the sauce I made was so salty. We had to temper it with some lemon juice and sweet rice wine. It was tasty, but just something to think about next time! ;)
