A balmy 41 degrees
Dec. 12th, 2009 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
diaryofariderDang that was some welcome warmth today. Forty one is not normally what I would consider warm, but it was so mild compared to, oh, I don't know, -6 that my heart was bursting with joy as I tramped through the snow toward my horse. She greeted me with a godawful raspy (hoarse?) whinny, but it was nice to feel welcome.
I thought she might be livin' la vida loca so I free lunged her in the indoor. No bucks or kicks, in fact she was all sweaty in short order. Poor pony. I tacked her up and away we went. Left hind felt wretched, all slow and not wanting to step through as much as the right, and to make matters worse she was stiffer than crap. She tried playing the "OHSHITSUNBEAMSGONNAEATME" card, but I had good tolerance today and I didn't let it get to me and we got through it. Between that and the boogeyman corner she pretty much tried to have a fit when I was insisting that YES YOU ARE GONNA MOVE THAT LEFT HIND NOW AND KEEP YOUR BODY THIS WAY, and I was good about insisting without escalating. I even managed to bang my calf against her sans heel when she tried to blow me off about moving sideways, and the really big win of the day for me was to decide to NOT GIVE UP and KEEP RIDING and this is something that so far, the new saddle is really helping with. Before she would get stiff and shy and scoot forward and whatnot and it was like I just had to give up for a few strides and then try again when she settled. For now the saddle is not letting her throw me so far off balance that I can't affect her, so if I keep trying I start getting things back quicker. I'm also zoning in on her "segment" each ride, and though it doesn't necessarily happen immediately, at some point I notice it and stay aware of it and can then work to stay upright and in balance with it.
Pony is getting very very good at lateralish stuff, at least at the walk. We are using almost halfpass to help the left hind and when we get it there is a big difference. I am happy that she likes the bending so much and that she seems glad to let it help her. Of course it's a lot different outside, but for now I'll just appreciate the great indoors.
Poor mare got pooped fast which was pretty nice. I felt her starting to get tired in the trot work and managed to tow her along with the cord-pulling-you-from-your-bellybutton feeling, and that was pretty nice too.
This year has been such a battle, and I don't know that things will every quite come together. But I get the feeling I've learned some really important stuff, and maybe if the spookiness ever goes away things will get hugely better hugely fast. Ha, well, that and the health issues...
I thought she might be livin' la vida loca so I free lunged her in the indoor. No bucks or kicks, in fact she was all sweaty in short order. Poor pony. I tacked her up and away we went. Left hind felt wretched, all slow and not wanting to step through as much as the right, and to make matters worse she was stiffer than crap. She tried playing the "OHSHITSUNBEAMSGONNAEATME" card, but I had good tolerance today and I didn't let it get to me and we got through it. Between that and the boogeyman corner she pretty much tried to have a fit when I was insisting that YES YOU ARE GONNA MOVE THAT LEFT HIND NOW AND KEEP YOUR BODY THIS WAY, and I was good about insisting without escalating. I even managed to bang my calf against her sans heel when she tried to blow me off about moving sideways, and the really big win of the day for me was to decide to NOT GIVE UP and KEEP RIDING and this is something that so far, the new saddle is really helping with. Before she would get stiff and shy and scoot forward and whatnot and it was like I just had to give up for a few strides and then try again when she settled. For now the saddle is not letting her throw me so far off balance that I can't affect her, so if I keep trying I start getting things back quicker. I'm also zoning in on her "segment" each ride, and though it doesn't necessarily happen immediately, at some point I notice it and stay aware of it and can then work to stay upright and in balance with it.
Pony is getting very very good at lateralish stuff, at least at the walk. We are using almost halfpass to help the left hind and when we get it there is a big difference. I am happy that she likes the bending so much and that she seems glad to let it help her. Of course it's a lot different outside, but for now I'll just appreciate the great indoors.
Poor mare got pooped fast which was pretty nice. I felt her starting to get tired in the trot work and managed to tow her along with the cord-pulling-you-from-your-bellybutton feeling, and that was pretty nice too.
This year has been such a battle, and I don't know that things will every quite come together. But I get the feeling I've learned some really important stuff, and maybe if the spookiness ever goes away things will get hugely better hugely fast. Ha, well, that and the health issues...
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Date: 2009-12-13 03:45 pm (UTC)ironically, its enrique;s left hind too that is sluggish and not wanting to step underneath himself as well :P I'm working on doing lots of leg yielding and haunches in to try to get it more active.
He isn't the swiftest with lateral work yet :P