Just keep swimming

Productive weekend, I think. Sunday's lesson was about tempo, using my spine as an aid, canter departs, moral authority, and not always practicing in the same way. This was the first time MT had talked about the idea of using the spine as an aid -- he also called it putting his back on the horse. I don't know that I'm entirely clear on it, but I was able to get results when I used it: I sat up straight and sat or posted right smack in the middle of the saddle, and Rev's gaits got clearer, better, and more forward. MT also talked about how, when I unknowingly start leaning forward, my seat and weight aids get muddled, so Rev just starts ignoring them. So I'll be working with that idea this week, as well as clear and short leg aids and canter departs.

By the end of the lesson, I was able to get pretty prompt canter departs -- after I'd invoked the moral authority of my stick behind my leg. Heh. Plus, I was able to recreate the effective aid I'd figured out on Friday by myself. It took me a while, and I had to remember the trot I had on Friday, but we got there.

Odd note: MT was waiting patiently while I was flailing around and not getting any success, and after several flaily circles, he asked me "So, what are you actually doing to get the canter?" Something about the pause to switch my brain from physical to verbal, and then trying to verbalize what I was doing, fixed my problem. As I started to narrate my aid as I gave it -- "First I move my outside leg back," -- I got the canter depart. Just odd. I think my words didn't move as fast as my brain did in analyzing what I needed to do and then doing it, because I know for dang sure that not only did I put my outside leg back, but then I sat on my inside seatbone and cued with my outside leg and then my inside leg while I scooped my inside seatbone forward. Strange experience, and it makes me think about how my brain and body work together ... makes me wonder how I can harness that. As it were.

On Saturday, it was so unbelievably windy at the barn! I commented to TW and a couple of other people as we watched a lesson that I thought we might all wake up in Oz, the wind was blowing that hard. It was windy enough that MT came over to mention to me that I should probably avoid the A end of the barn, since the wind stripping sometimes comes loose, and the wind was worst on that end. He gave me a fairly strong caution -- which prompted me to wonder if maybe I ought to just longe Rev and wait to ride until the next day. MT said that was his plan for his own horses, so ... yknow, I'll follow his wisdom!

Rev also got introduced to the P3 machine on Saturday.

She was ... not impressed. I think "freaked out" isn't a bad description for it. She didn't mind it over her shoulder and neck, but when MT got to her back and hip area, she was definitely weirded out. She would jump forward or sideways when one of her larger muscle groups would twitch, with the expression of "OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?!" on her face. Total non-comprehension. Fair enough, I suppose -- horses who haven't had the P3 used on them can't possibly have a frame of reference for electrical charges making their muscles twitch involuntarily!

I hope she gets to like it as much as one of the other barn horses, who practically drools when he gets P3-ed. MT saw a difference in her when he rode her on Sunday; whether it was the P3 or the fact that he hopped on without longing or something else entirely, it was a good difference.

Looking forward to riding this evening after Spanish tutoring; it's gorgeous out, and I want to work more and longer, without giving in to the "aw, okay, good enough" monster! My weekly schedule is going to be clearing up next week or the week after, which will be nice. The standing Tuesday evening thing is falling apart, so that opens Tuesday nights up. Depending on how froggy* I feel during the week, I'll try to ride Mondays as well, and keep up my existing schedule ... which will be a good thing. That plus half-training ought to keep Rev pretty busy. :)

* Meaning energetic and enthusiastic. I have no idea where this term came from, but I use it. I'm not always feeling froggy; annoyingly enough, my immune system is pretty weak, and I end up wearing myself out and getting sick or whatnot pretty easily. TW actually "sentenced" me to early bedtimes yesterday, when I couldn't stop coughing after my lesson ... and she's a wise lady. Sleep, vitamins, APF, and not trying to do it all, that's my sentence.

A little more clearly, this time

So -- now that I have a full keyboard, I can completely express my absolute SQUEE!! at this weekend! :)

Starting with the best stuff: So we've been having trouble with our canter departs. And when I say "we," I mean "I." Rev can do prompt, balanced, quiet departs with MT, but with me, all I'd been getting is bouncy faster trots. My fault entirely. On Saturday, when MT rode her, he narrated his canter aids for me briefly. I'm not sure if he knew how much trouble I'd been having, but whatever the case, the narration made the difference. On Sunday, when I rode, I decided that I was going to try what MT had said and then make. it. work. And I'm damned if it didn't!! :D

We had a lovely, rhythmic canter that I felt would go on as long as I wanted it to without her falling out of it. Matterafact, she started to slow down at one point, and I was able to just squeeze and get her to not falter. What's more, I felt like I was riding it correctly! I could feel my hips swinging and my butt stuck to the saddle, and everything was smooth. Bliss!

It was a little harder getting the canter to the right -- everything with us is harder to the right -- but I got it.

And better yet, the person who'd ridden before me had been practicing cantering over ground poles; just two poles at about 5 strides. So ... we had a canter. We had ground poles. We had the inclination to play a little.

WE CANTERED THE GROUND POLES!! :D I know, it sounds like such a simple, easy thing, why would I be excited about it? Well ... yknow, you take your victories where you find them. :) It's the beginning of jumping! She jumped a teeny tiny bit, just basically a little bouncier canter stride, and I was right there with her. No problems. It was SO fun and SO rewarding! I haven't felt that delighted on a horse in a long time. Thinking about it still makes me grin and tear up a little. Yes, I know, I'm overenthusiastic. It feels a lot better than the edge of despair I'd been having, so ... yep, I'll keep it!

I'd also asked MT if it was realistic for me to plan on entering the crossrails class at the next event derby. His daughter (the super-high-level rider and oughta-be-Olympian) said, with some skepticism, "well, has your horse jumped yet?" She has, on the line, but not under saddle. MT made my entire weekend by saying "Well, let's start jumping her!" I asplode with excitement. ;) Seriously. SO FREAKING EXCITED. :) Jumping!!

So -- in other awesome news, it looks like this summer is going to have a lot of great stuff going on at the barn.

• In the first week of April, we'll have the first Test of Choice night. I hope to get our canter departs ready for Training 1.
• The weekend after the TOC night will be the first stadium/cross-country clinic of the season, at home. As long as our jumping is going okay, I am SO THERE. Finally I get to ride in a clinic instead of just audit!
• Lots of little shows starting up in May, and I will probably start out just going with some friends and paying the grounds fee to just ride her around, get her used to the environment. If I'm feeling froggy and up to it, maybe I'll post-enter a class, but ... still. No huge expectations.
• In June, MT, TW, and TD (Their Daughter) will be running a Camp. Two and a half days, two riding sessions a day, educational seminars in between, including how to walk a cross-country course and how to walk a stadium course and then how to ride the courses based on your walk. And more stuff too. This could not be more perfect for me. Heh -- they designed it with the Pony Clubbers and 4-H kids in mind, but I am SO going to join in. My friend Kate might go too, and hopefully Crystal -- we'll be the geezers of the group. :) Super excited about this.
• I think I'll be able to go to the derbies up in Bellevue and other places around here, too. And the Test of Choice nights go on every first Wednesday of every month, and I'm all in for that.
• And so much more. Just ... squee! :D

Rearranging the weekdays

Usually, I can't get out to the barn on Mondays or Tuesdays, due to standing commitments on those nights. So my plan is that I'll longe her with her side reins on Wednesdays, do chores and whatnot at home on Thursdays, then ride Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for a 4-day horse week.

This week, though ... I could have ridden yesterday if my second tutoring appointment for the day had gotten back to me in time to tell me he needed to cancel before I was on my way to the library. Today, my game night is cancelled, so I'm headed out to longe. My student rescheduled for Wednesday -- okay, cool. I'd had something scheduled for Thursday, but since it would cost me money, I cancelled. So: Thursday, ride. I hope I can ride Friday, but I might need to get together with a friend. Then, Saturday and Sunday, ride.

Gah! Chaos! But for now ... off to longe.