Playin' Around

So this week has been a lot of fun and quite a bit different for me! I've been getting up real early (the likes of 5:30 to 6ish) almost daily to get to the barn to play before the heat kicks in. With the heat index here topping 100 for several days in a row I was melting when finishing riding at 11am! It's been fun to say the least, and I feel like I've accomplished quite a bit with Duck.
Finally after almost 3 years, she is cantering online on the 22ft line. It's far from totally relaxed, but much improved on our former range of non-existent canter to raging dead gallop with lots of bucking and pulling my arm out of the socket.
For instance since last week, we've gone from 36+laps at the canter to the left (her easier direction) before getting a marked improvement in relaxation, rhythm, and contact, to yesterday about 12 laps to the right (which is her much harder, I'm going to yank the heck out of you, and crossfire to boot) direction. She is still fast while cantering, really fast at times, but most of the time after a few laps I am getting some slack in the line and to the right she is now more consistently picking up the right lead, and without cross-firing! She is also stopping dead in her tracks to ask questions occasionally which at least means she is checking in!
Cantering while riding, not near as good. Sometimes I wonder if we're just going to have to go the crazy fast you can canter until you want to relax route, but she can be SO unbalanced and heavy on the forehand I worry about us taking a spill which wouldn't be good for either of us. On the flip side though there have been a few days where I have gotten more than 1/2 lap with a very nice relaxed canter, both directions so I think that is a huge improvement!
We've also been playing around with the weave while riding and getting more relaxation at the trot. Can you tell that relaxation is on the agenda?
And the other fun in playin' around this week has been in playing with two of my friends' horses. On Tuesday I got to play with Melissa's horse Tucker. He is from my observation a LBE/LBI gaited Kentucky Mountain Horse. Ok, well I kind of stole him when I had seen her struggle so long over the course of a few months I couldn't stand it anymore with sideways and him running her over constantly. And like she said later in the session, she's so used to it that she didn't even notice! (even though I have mentioned the running over you thing to her before :) )To which my BFO is 'WOW" I am not the only one who's horse does stuff they shouldn't be and not notice it! LOL
Let's just say that I think an hour later things were much better although Wednesday morning my body did not quite agree with me. My arms do not appreciate being taken sand skiing even when in a power position (which I probably did not utilize enough), but well I just don't know that there was a way around it. Perhaps there was, but I certainly didn't have that arrow in my quiver to improve his attitude without some opposition. Tucker likes running the show and he didn't like my idea that he shouldn't be pulling my arm out of the socket constantly as a prerequisite to sideways! All in all though on Wednesday the two of them seemed very happy.
Yesterday I was able to play with and ride Liz's horse, Eli. He is a very well seasoned horse, also LBI. I learned so much from him! See I only have Duck to play with. Can only afford one horse, generally only have time to play with one horse anyway if I'm lucky. So there tends to be that comfort in the relationship of what is expected, how things go etc. Well Eli was a quick reminder not to be so complacent with other horses! I about got myself kicked playing the falling leaf by not sending him out enough sideways away from me. He REALLY likes to kick out! It took about 10 reps before he quit kicking out! WOW! Talk about an eye opener! He was just voicing his opinion that he didn't like the idea of yielding his shoulder! After we got on the same page I rode him for awhile. Liz had said I could borrow him to canter since Duck's canter is so inconsistent. Wow what a dream! I felt like I was if I'd been driving I would have been in the luxury SUV! It is amazing how so many miles and experience on a horse can teach a rider. He was wonderful! He seemed to enjoy my company as well because I tried to have Christian cool him out riding him and he didn't want to leave me. What a sweetie!
So that's been the week so far! Lots of BFO moments and lots of fun! Thanks so much to Melissa and Liz for letting me play with their wonderful partners!