Thursday - another magic day!

Try:

Long relaxed grooming and later bath.

I watched the April SC dvd for on line fig 8 pattern L1/2 and noted with a sluggish LBI to tag the X after horse's tail passes the spot. So with Try my GOALwas for quality walk with light cueing, then trot for emotional fitness and consistency of gait.

Started with walk: a couple were pretty nice then Try started offering all sorts of things to avoid trotting the 8. An interesting variation was sidepassing the arcs of the 8. Things got ugly and it took going back to just circling--a lot at a canter to get us back together. Then back to the 8 with pretty good energy in the trot but not maintaining consistantly--some canter thrown in. Quit on a couple good ones and was PROUD that I took the time instead of giving up when it got ugly.

Then freestyle casual rein in the ring--played western pleasure and Try was just super--walk til she blew, jog then trot then jog etc, then 8 laps of canter. Try's canter was relaxed and comfortable just a little reminder if she slowed or got a bit too much energy.

Then left the ring and the farm and passenger ride up the road aways and back.

Key:

He has ride with Emily later. I got him out and spent an hour or so treating the rain rot with MTG and he loved being massaged and scratched. Then bathed his oily tail etc tail.

Beautiful, beautiful day to just be messing with horses. Could not imagine anything better.

Wednesday - clipping Keystone

Keystone got the full spa treatment. I helped BA and Ariel clip Keystone--took a couple hours and he was touchy in places with the rain rot. Then pulled mane, photos, and MTG for rain rot.

7 months at Rollover:
What an improvement in grooming, weight and physical conditioning.

catch up

I am neglecting this blog--gorgeous weather, lots of horse time and thus tired and writing less.

Thursday: Keystone--got some great feedback on what I am doing with him. Have been asking for contact at the standstill and waiting for him BUT would release on a bit of flexion without softening which was not effective. light bulb moment. Anyway lovely trot, patterns, transitions of gaits.

Monday: Magic day

Keystone: western saddle and just rode and played about in Try's field, Devon's field and the ring: walk, trot, canter. He was bright and alive but when in Devon's field he started to worry about being the only horse outside.

Try: She was in her stall and making ugly faces at me so we went out back to improve her state of being. Well, as soon as we got there, she was happy as a clam and we played with first one then the other suggesting things to play with--stream of consciousness style. Then as I had no tack available, decided to just ride bareback with the savvy string around her neck as backup--walk and jog about, patterns, transitions, HQ/FQ isolations, turns, slow spins etc. Beautiful day and just lovely to be together.

Tuesday: LessonS with Kathy in Try's field. I had set up the cones for a 20x40 meter dressage ring.

Keystone first while Try was content in the round pen nearby. This was the first lesson with Kathy in months with Key so we started way back. We asked for the contact a bit differently and when it came it was great and was there for much of the lesson walk, trot and canter. Both the trot and canter had extended times of being gorgeous--quality of gait and body shaping. Key--took awhile for him to decide that was the "good deal." Also I think he enjoyed riding in Try's field instead of the ring. We got to play some with using the whole ring, crossing diagonals, 20 meter circles etc.

Then Try: Million transitions and lots of HQ/FQ isolations to motivate Try to flex etc. Good walk and trot and best of all, she seemed really happy. I ran out of steam after 2 hours of lesson concentration.

I'm back

Tuesday: saying HI

Try: easy relaxed grooming, friendly game, dwell and relaxed bareback walk/jog in her field.
Key: relaxed grooming, friendly dwell.

Wednesday

Try: lesson with Kathy--good attitude. rhythm and relaxation in walk/trot/canter. Also warmup with circling online and liberty games.

Key: quick grooming and light hack then few minutes of walk/trot with contact.

Mental vacation week

Try is getting a complete vacation this week--just on general principles--and then see where we are next week.

I having been giving myself a break also--Tuesday, Wednesday--did not go to the barn at all and Friday thru Sunday is beach weekend.

Keystone: Thursday--perhaps we should have taken that day off also. I did not have the energy to pull energy out of him as he just did not feel like expending any energy. We did some how get thru a walk/trot/canter hack and finished with a little contact--it was slow going getting Key to offer to carry himself but we did get it with some really nice looking trot.

Monday with Keystone

Still working on the rainrot, bless his heart, at least he enjoys being rubbed. Then walk/trot/canter in the ring including no stirrups for me. First time in close contact saddle in awhile and felt strange. Also only 2 laps of no stirrups tho it started out really strong. Finished with getting light contact and flexion then walk/sitting trot/posting trot/sitting/walk in each direction on the rail.

Try: giving her some "space."