Solid weekend
In case you haven't been bored enough, I've got more boring news! Our fitness plan has us walking and trotting for 40min (at least, my adapted version does). What does one do with this seemingly inane time?
FUNdamentals!
(and yes, I totally groaned at that one).
walk trot walk trot walk trot walk trot walk.
Seems simple enough and mind numbing...
However! Throw in some halts, some rein-backs, serpentines, turns on the quarter-line, turns on the haunches, half-passes, 20m circles, lots of rein changes, figure eights, transitions, and squares and there's not enough time for it all! The barn does not have poles inside otherwise I would have put those out but whatevs, we had plenty to do.
Sunday was so cold, I didn't warm up after mucking stalls and was thisclose to wimping out of riding. Knowing I was going to throw away a perfectly fine day for working with her brought me back to my senses.
I'm really working mentally to create a soft connection with Dassah - when she braces against me she starts chewing the bit and if I wasn't aware of the bracing before, it's a neon sign that she's not getting whatever it is we're schooling.
If I'm soft, she's soft, and soft means listening, balance, pleasant and well executed halts, departs, rein-backs, bends, etc. Unfortunately I'm a terrible learner and she takes great pleasure in reminding me that I'm NOT OFFERING SOFT! Granted, she's a slow learner sometimes too (see: ditch of death which I have never written about but you would have thought I was asking her to cross the Grand Canyon).
Anyway. It's slow goings over here in RedMare land - 5 more weeks and I'm done with school! and then watch out because we are going to have an awesome late spring/summer/fall.
OH - I did clean my tack with the Higher Standards soap and balm that everyone has been talking about. It DEFINITELY lives up to the hype. (before and afters are after the selfie). The pictures (and I hate saying this because I'm always like, THEN TAKE BETTER PICTURES!) don't do the products justice. My boots never looked this good once I took them out of the box. This bridle was covered in a years worth of tack room/tack bin gunk and wowzas, they look good.
FUNdamentals!
(and yes, I totally groaned at that one).
walk trot walk trot walk trot walk trot walk.
Seems simple enough and mind numbing...
However! Throw in some halts, some rein-backs, serpentines, turns on the quarter-line, turns on the haunches, half-passes, 20m circles, lots of rein changes, figure eights, transitions, and squares and there's not enough time for it all! The barn does not have poles inside otherwise I would have put those out but whatevs, we had plenty to do.
Sunday was so cold, I didn't warm up after mucking stalls and was thisclose to wimping out of riding. Knowing I was going to throw away a perfectly fine day for working with her brought me back to my senses.
I'm really working mentally to create a soft connection with Dassah - when she braces against me she starts chewing the bit and if I wasn't aware of the bracing before, it's a neon sign that she's not getting whatever it is we're schooling.
If I'm soft, she's soft, and soft means listening, balance, pleasant and well executed halts, departs, rein-backs, bends, etc. Unfortunately I'm a terrible learner and she takes great pleasure in reminding me that I'm NOT OFFERING SOFT! Granted, she's a slow learner sometimes too (see: ditch of death which I have never written about but you would have thought I was asking her to cross the Grand Canyon).
Anyway. It's slow goings over here in RedMare land - 5 more weeks and I'm done with school! and then watch out because we are going to have an awesome late spring/summer/fall.
OH - I did clean my tack with the Higher Standards soap and balm that everyone has been talking about. It DEFINITELY lives up to the hype. (before and afters are after the selfie). The pictures (and I hate saying this because I'm always like, THEN TAKE BETTER PICTURES!) don't do the products justice. My boots never looked this good once I took them out of the box. This bridle was covered in a years worth of tack room/tack bin gunk and wowzas, they look good.
Before: gross. ew. yuck.
After: Oooo, aaaaaah.
Before: (disgusting)
After: So shiny and new!
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