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Dec. 8th, 2007 09:36 pmDang it was cold today. My car slid and fishtailed on the icy roads, but I got to the barn safe and sound. I stepped out, took about 5 steps, and slipped on an icy puddle hidden under a bit of snow. I didn't fall but I'm going to be sore tomorrow from my body's graceless rebalancing (worse than when I tripped over a haybale in the dark last week- that didn't hurt, just startled me. Ballerina I am not. Ballarhino- quite possibly). I went to get Trudi and the snap holding the chain on her pen was frozen shut, so I had to breath on it till the thin layer of ice melted.
Trudi was fairly good. I tried to make things a little more low key and relaxed today, and for the most part, they were. She was more relaxed at the walk and the trot to the right, but to the left she was struggling some and would drop her back and try to zip off. I'm working on not bringing my hands back to my lap when she does that, but rather just driving her forward with my leg into the bridle (gee, sounds like my realization about the canter the other day ^_^). It's kind of funny actually, because the canter was very good today- straighter, no hanging on the rein or dropping behind the bit- we did shorter bouts and I think that helped. We also had some of the best walk I've ever ridden. We were just walking along, and I was thinking about picking up the trot, when suddenly I realized how spectacular her walk was. She was absolutely steady in the bridle, completely through, powerful and energetic and relaxed. It was thrilling, and honestly, I've never been thrilled by a walk before.
We did a new excercise at the canter which was pretty fun at first but kind of got her worked up so we only did it a few times- Canter serpentine where we picked up the right lead, cantered a half circle of about 15m, trotted the straight line, then picked up the left lead and cantered the half circle for the ending loop. She did really well the first two times, then got excited and spazzy ^_^. We tried to finish up with some leg yielding, just at the walk- ugh, trainwreck. Leg yield left, no problem. Leg yield right- non existant. Left hind leg was just not going to come over (so she thought). So we did some leg yield along the wall, and then she realized that her left hind leg could indeed step over and had damn well better. I think that's a lot of why she's been weaker to the left- we'll have to keep working on it- and getting her to move that leg over and under (sounds oddly like a contradiction, yet it's not) earlier in the game will probably help- we'll try it.
Overall, a good ride though.
Trudi was fairly good. I tried to make things a little more low key and relaxed today, and for the most part, they were. She was more relaxed at the walk and the trot to the right, but to the left she was struggling some and would drop her back and try to zip off. I'm working on not bringing my hands back to my lap when she does that, but rather just driving her forward with my leg into the bridle (gee, sounds like my realization about the canter the other day ^_^). It's kind of funny actually, because the canter was very good today- straighter, no hanging on the rein or dropping behind the bit- we did shorter bouts and I think that helped. We also had some of the best walk I've ever ridden. We were just walking along, and I was thinking about picking up the trot, when suddenly I realized how spectacular her walk was. She was absolutely steady in the bridle, completely through, powerful and energetic and relaxed. It was thrilling, and honestly, I've never been thrilled by a walk before.
We did a new excercise at the canter which was pretty fun at first but kind of got her worked up so we only did it a few times- Canter serpentine where we picked up the right lead, cantered a half circle of about 15m, trotted the straight line, then picked up the left lead and cantered the half circle for the ending loop. She did really well the first two times, then got excited and spazzy ^_^. We tried to finish up with some leg yielding, just at the walk- ugh, trainwreck. Leg yield left, no problem. Leg yield right- non existant. Left hind leg was just not going to come over (so she thought). So we did some leg yield along the wall, and then she realized that her left hind leg could indeed step over and had damn well better. I think that's a lot of why she's been weaker to the left- we'll have to keep working on it- and getting her to move that leg over and under (sounds oddly like a contradiction, yet it's not) earlier in the game will probably help- we'll try it.
Overall, a good ride though.
