Under the lights...

Rode Elle last night after a long day of running around. I almost bailed, but it was a really nice night for a ride so I turned the lights on, tacked up, and went out.

Perfect for mounting.

Started off "meh." I just couldn't get my position. It was one of those feelings where my brain was telling me where I needed to be, my body was GOING there, but I just couldn't find the right spot, or tone, or level of relaxed. I started her up and tried to just be soft.

We warmed up and things got a little better. I decided to do some of the stuff I saw Kristine & Lisa doing, which was some of the same stuff Kristine & Eric did. We started off with the exercise where you spiral into the circle and leg yield back out again. I didn't get the right feeling. We were doing it, but I felt like my body didn't stay stacked up, instead it felt like I was leaning forward a little bit. I think it DID help her to get a little more sensitive to the leg, though.

Next we did a TON of trotting. It seems like for the past week all I keep hearing is that transitions get you to impulsion. First with Lisa, and then with Eric, and then I ran into a random article online that was actually titled, "Transitions equal impulsion." So, I took some from everyone. We would trot until we got to a corner, halt, get a walk as soon as I asked (this had to be worked on because "backwards" was easier at the beginning), and then when I had a good walk, get a trot and trot a circle, then straight, until we got to the next corner. Rinse, repeat. We did a TON of this, then moved the exercise to the canter.

I was a little worried I was doing something wrong at first. When we got to the middle part of the exercise, and especially when we got to the canter part, I had a really strong, stiff horse. I almost gave up on the job because I thought I was making her worse, but as we went along and I persevered she got lighter and lighter. So maybe she was getting stronger and stronger because it was hard, but then we broke through. It seems weird, but as I think of it, it's the same thing that would happen with Harley on his hot days. He would get MUCH ranker before he would get soft. So, I'm glad I kept going.

The other thing I worked on was cantering with a loose, but connected, rein. As we would start our circle, I would maintain a stronger contact (because that is where she is still apt to throw in a buck), but when I would have a flowing stride I would soften a bunch. I was really impressed with how she handled this and how it all went. By the end of the ride, when I would collect a little bit, she would anticipate the canter, but not in a bad way. Instead of ringing her tail, bouncing up, and giving me the "screw you" ears, she was offering a SUPER soft canter at the slightest cue of the leg. So, whatever I did last night, got us somewhere that was a better place than where we started.