First a bit of context. Donny and I have spent the winter refining a number of simple skills in preparation for competing in some higher levels this summer. Although we, mostly I, still have a long way to go I think I am beginning to see a positive change in my riding and definitely in our teamwork. The fact that show season is only a month away is definitely still scary though! At the beginning of the winter Bryn tasked me with steadying my hands and becoming more flexible in my leg positioning, the first of which I hope I have taken care of fairly well, the second still requires some attention. We have been working a lot with improving transitions and refining my ability to half halt with my seat and legs rather then the reins. I have also put a lot of time into trying to lose my dependance on right rein now that I actually have a well balanced horse. Assuring Donny that the ends of the arena are not home to horse eating dragons has also been a subject we have often dealt with in our rides so far this winter. Although I could likely ramble on for longer then anyone else want to read about the other details of our winter so far I will restrain and jump to describing my more current rides.
Last weeks riding schedule was as follows
- Monday (Bryn rides Donny)
- Tuesday ( Donny's day off)
- Wednesday: I came out to the barn around five for a ride on Donny. It was especially windy that night and despite my best efforts to drown the creepy howling with the radio, Donny was not fooled. We spent most of the ride working on how not to jump every time the the end door creaked in the wind. We did eventually accomplish some nice, more relaxed, trot work but by the end of the ride even I was convinced something might be waiting to eat me in the shadowy underpass below the bleachers.
- Thursday: I rode Donny before doing night check as I do every thursday. We had a much better, more focused ride then on Wednesday. I worked on making my left had take control of itself and forcing my right hand to back of a bit, adding the opposite leg instead when necessary. I threw in some transitions between shoulder in and straightening and also worked with smoothing out changes of bend by practicing serpentines.
- Friday (Bryn rides Donny)
- Saturday: Saturdays I have my lessons with Bryn at noon. We mainly focused on transitioning from shoulder in on the long wall to a half ten meter to a half pass we did this is both directions. We then worked on coming down centerline and transitioning between shoulder in to half pass and back again. We did this in both directions as well Right is clearly easier for me. We worked on keeping my right leg back and down. Toward the end of my lesson we worked a little bit of flying changes across the short diagonal. I still fight my instinct to freeze up when changes are involved but definitely feel like I'm getting better.
- Sunday: No night check tonight as usual so Donny's day of this coming week will be Sunday.
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