Lesson Day: Buddy, and Sunny with a chance of cows

This past week has been bathroom week with a side of electrical issues and freezer meltdown - unfortunately, literally on that last. We're now the proud owners of a new chest freezer, the kitchen fan is no longer an light-up-my-life hazard, and the bathroom has been gutted, the new window is in, and it's well on it's way to new paint and tile.

All of which is lovely, but combined with work has meant I haven't had much pony time.  A few bareback pasture-go-rounds when I go out to fly spray and that's about it. 

Sunny celebrated his 10th birthday on Thursday with an escape into the cow pasture.  Someone didn't rehook the electric wire at the gate, and both boys just walked right across a low spot.  Thankfully they were fine out with the cows until we got there to retrieve them.

Yesterday was lesson day.  It was in the 60's and just barely rainy - much better than last week's wind and 90's!  I had a good ride for the most part, although Buddy needs his shoes reset.  Not having had time to ride, I'd reviewed the video my mom shot several times through and tried visualizing myself doing things more correctly than I looked to be doing them.  Apparently it worked, at least in part. 

I made some progress on rating him at the canter and on keeping my seat deep. Eric says I'm starting to use my weight better - which must be why I'm starting to feel more secure.  Unfortunately, I'm still tipping forward too much - anyone know if those core exercise work as far as promoting better posture?

 
 Surprisingly for a Friday, the barn was quiet.  Buddy got a nice long warm bath post-ride, and I learned to braid a tail.  Not so practical for fly season, but he's inside, and has a fan, so...  Actually, I'm not a fan of really long, drag-on-the-ground show tails period.  One that's nice and thick at fetlock-length looks better - but that's just my opinion, which obviously isn't shared by the majority of the show world!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  Hope everyone's getting lots of quality family time, horse time and riding time!

Video: Sunny

 

I'm still having some issues with uploading video - unfortunately, the longer clips are too big, and they're the ones that show the most.  

Kellie asked if I thought the adjustment had helped Sunny - I think so.  He's definitely taking both leads out running  loose.  And even though he's still not taking the left lead as readily under saddle, that's always been his stiffer side.  If I remember to be deliberate and consistent with how I cue him he's taking the left lead correctly again.  And he's back to flexing his neck both ways and stepping across underneath himself easily, so... on the whole I'd have to say, yes :)

Video: Buddy

Lesson Day: Buddy, and are my legs ever tired!

I had company yesterday for my lesson - my mom came along, and took lots of pictures and some high def video that my laptop doesn't like.  We picked up the horse trailer and the boys on the way, all of us already sweaty at 11 AM in 90' heat.  The wind, gusting past 30 mph, kept it tolerable but the flies were sticking and biting, and it felt like storm coming in.

We arrived early at Eric's with plenty of time to get the horses out and fly spray reapplied.  I left the boys tied in the shade of the trailer, and we wandered over to watch the remainder of the lesson before mine.  One of Eric's junior riders... maybe someday I'll grow up to ride as well as she does! 

We chatted through tacking up, and then it was my turn with Buddy.   I decided to try using the Thinline halfpad on Buddy too, right under the riser pad I usually use - not sure how much good it will do, but it's at least some extra cushion and not enough thickness to make a discernible difference in terms of saddle fit/girth length.
 

No spurs required

I could really tell I'd had some time off, and not in a good way. And I discovered as I attempted to get my foot level with the stirrup to mount that I'd worn jeans with no stretch.  Stretchy is much better, especially when your pants are already sticking to you.

Yee-haw

Overall, I'd rate my riding this lesson a C+. It was a good lesson work-wise, but I was struggling to keep Buddy round and consistently rated.  On the positive side of the column, my canter transitions were felt good and were apparently some of my best yet, so at least that was something.  With the heat, I wasn't sorry to have a slightly shorter lesson than normal.  Buddy was sweaty, I was sweaty, and we were both ready for a break when we agreed that I was starting to run out of horse. 

The shade and the fans in the barn felt wonderful.  Buddy got a lukewarm rinse-down, which he thoroughly enjoyed.  I got at least my arms wet, which felt pretty darn good. 

Then it was Sunny's turn - Eric had a break between lessons for lunch, so I had the arena to myself.  I decided to go ahead and use the all-purpose saddle with the Thinline halfpad.  He's too fat to try stuffing any more padding underneath there.  

Can't you just see the enthusiasm rolling off him?

Once more into the saddle muttering at the denim stuck to me.  It wasn't until I was on that I realized I'd neglected to add spurs to my outfit, but I wasn't getting off again.  Which is why practically every picture my mom took has shows my heels rolling up into Sunny's sides.

I really want my spurs!

He was not overly energetic.  But he did find lots of things along the edges of the arena to look at.

A very scary orange cone

We did the usual warm-up stuff - bending and moving hips and shoulders in and out in each direction, small circles, some spirals at walk and trot.  Then right lead canter, which he of course nailed.  Then we reversed and tried left.

Success!

Hooray!  I'm still having to be really deliberate about setting him up for the left lead, but he's taking it.  I think he may still be anticipating it hurting, so hopefully it will get better. 

Both directions a couple of times, and that was that.  We packed up, loaded up and headed for home. 

I may have some video to post later - I can't seem to get it to load at the moment.  Maybe I'll have better luck later.

We have left! Left lead, that is.

Horse trailer is clean - at least the horse part.  I still have work to do on the tack area.  I put in an easy half hour on Sunny yesterday.  Ended up trying T's old western saddle on him, instead of the all-purpose.  With the weight he's put on, my western saddle is too narrow for his shoulders.  I was hoping maybe the T's saddle would work a bit better.

I had my wish for more breeze - it was a perfect day for riding.  In the 70's with a gusty, cool wind that was just enough to keep the bugs off.  Sunny was a touch amped, but we did lots of bending and trotting and bending and spirals and bending and...  you get the picture.

Eventually, when I felt like he was actually paying attention, I asked him for a left lead canter.  The first couple of times he gave me right, but third time's the charm.  A few canter transitions in both directions and he gave me correct leads each time, so the adjustment seems to have helped. I'll ride again today and hopefully tomorrow, and I have a lesson with Eric and Buddy on Friday.  I'm taking Sunny along and the plan is to just work him in the arena and see how he's going after three days of riding.

I finished up with some side-passing, turns on the haunches, and some stationary lateral flexing.  Sunny's stretching around really well in both directions again!  I called it good at half an hour or so with a much more cooperative and settled pony.

No ride for Thunder yesterday - I'd forgotten my sunblock and was starting to feel crispy.  Nobody was home, either, so rather than push my luck and my lobster-status, I settled for groundwork in the shade with him before I called it quits for the day.