Ok, so I finally pulled out the mini SD card that my brother gave me and put the pictures from my phone on it and then put them on my computer! Yay me! I posted the cutest ones. Click on them for a slideshow.
She already did that, you say. Not with me on her back! That's right, I RODE her across the creek yesterday! There are 2 places the horses cross the creek, she didn't approve of the first one, and walked right across the second and then back over the first. It did help that Flo was on the other side (another instance where her buddy sourness is working FOR us!). I was STOKED! I had pictured myself ending up like Hub did the other day - covered in mud with both heels flopping off my boots! I'm happy to say I stayed dry :) We circled near the other mares and walked away (trying to work on the sourness). I worked on overbending to the inside and releasing, which she was very happy to do. She was balky when I tried to walk away from the mares and when I tapped her with the dressage whip she kicked out like a bull whip. Whew! She also gave the dogs the evil eye and kicked at them too, which suprised me. She's coming along! I still haven't cantered her. I can't wait to have drier weather so I can actually see what else she is ready to suprise me with!
First off, I was super bummed because I left the battery to my camera in it's charger at work. I was going to take all these pictures this weekend to post, but alas, it was not to be.
I rode River both days this weekend because Hub was away at a rodeo all weekend and I had to feed for him. I had another AH-HA moment when practicing more Tai Chi! I didn't really understand what he was saying in the video but it totally made sence when I tried it in the saddle. He said to point your belly button to the outside of the circle as you turn your sternum to the degree of turn in the circle. He said that when you point your belly button to the outside, it will counteract the balance of the circle. In the saddle, I realized that when you do this, you can feel your inside seat bone pressing into the saddle and it automatically weights that leg (which is what your are supposed to do on a circle!). I really felt like I didn't have to use my inside rein as much to guide River and he was SOOOO much more balanced. Wow! It continues to amaze me how minor adjustments to my core can effect the way my horses go so greatly! We had some "come to Jesus" moments with the dressage whip. After two days of Megan Boot Camp, he was moving forward into the bridle, more balanced through turns and learned to sidepass over a pole and not lean on my hands as much! I even pulled his mane! Mini Spring makeover for River! From the Jane Savioe newsletter written by Kris Garret.
Yesterday, for the first time, I was too tired to ride Yesterday, for the first time, I was afraid I would be hurt if I was thrown Yesterday, for the first time, I heard someone say my barn was too shabby Yesterday, for the first time, I let someone tell me I was too pudgy to ride Yesterday, for the first time, I realized I was old Yesterday, for the first time, I had to face that I could no longer keep up Yesterday, for the first time, I had to let go of my dreams Yesterday, for the first time, I knew I was done Today, for the last time, I felt warm, braided leather in my hands. Today, for the last time, I ran my stirrups up so they wouldn't bang my mare's sides Today, for the last time, I released the buckles on the girth and watched my girl sigh Today, for the last time, I slowly dropped the bit so it wouldn't hit her teeth Today, for the last time, I buried my head in her soft, warm neck Today, for the last time, I inhaled the sun and the dust in her long winter coat Today, for the last time, I tracked hay and horse hair into my house Today, for the last time, I pulled off my boots and felt the sting of warm blood returning to my cold toes Today, for the first time, I cried after my ride Today, for the first time, I waited for the new owner's trailer to arrive Today, for the first time, I set my boots in a box to go to the Goodwill Today, for the first time, I sighed at the wear on my riding gloves Today, for the first time, I had no hay in my hair Today, for the first time, I did not hear nickering when I opened my back door Today, for the first time, I felt worse leaving the barn that I did when I entered Today, for the first time, I had no one to check on before going to bed Tomorrow, for the first time, I won't have to buy hay Tomorrow, for the first time, I can stay in bed longer Tomorrow, for the first time, I won't see the poop pile grow Tomorrow, for the first time, I won't be able to fly on four legs Tomorrow, for the first time, I will regret letting her go Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be angry at God Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be angry at myself Tomorrow, for the first time, I will be glad to die Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will awaken in tears Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will know I was wrong Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will defy all the judgment Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will ignore my old bones Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will return the buyer's check Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will bring my friend home Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will take my boots out of the box Day after tomorrow, for the first time, I will be reborn For the rest of my life, I will have a horse in my yard For the rest of my life, I will ignore the naive judging For the rest of my life, I will watch the poop pile grow For the rest of my life, I will have hay in my hair For the rest of my life, I will track mud in my house For the rest of my life, I will bury my face in her soft neck For the rest of my life, I will let my soul fly For the rest of my life, I will never be alone I rode Mims yesterday. We wandered over to the field by my house and did a dressage school. (They are building a house on this property and when they are finished, I'm not sure if I will be able to ride there anymore. I'm trying to get as many rides in there as I can!) Mims was much better behaved this time! I learned 2 major things during this ride: 1. I can't just rely on my outside rein to slow this pony down. I have to use my core. I watched a video on horsehero.com with a Tai Chi guy and another one with a "riding with your mind" lady. They both told their students to "slouch" or "bring your sternum down." Both the riders and I were like, What?! Slouch? I had an AH-HA moment when trying it myself. I thought about aiming my sternum toward my horse's ears and it automatically engaged my core and anchored my seat bones! Pretty cool! All that to say, that when I finally was tired of trying to slow Mia down with my outside rein and was like "Why am I putting up with her running around like a scalded rabbit (Amy-ism by the way, love it)?" I resolved to make her respect my half-halts and used my core to do them. IT WORKED! It was then that I remembered the similar feeling I've had on River. He responds much better when I turn him with my body in short little increments instead of just trying to pull him around with my inside rein. Mia responded much better to my half-halts when I used my entire body instead of just my outside rein. It seems like a more subtle approach, but now that I think about it probably is more obvious because I'm using all of my body weight and not just one hand. Does that make sense? 2. Using my voice is helpful! Mia is an overachiever. Where Flo is like "Do I have to?" Mia is like "Do you want this, or this or this or this?" I have been having a hard time getting her to relax and not jig or jump back into canter after a canter/trot transition or into the trot after a trot/walk transition. I used my voice when asking for the downward transition and she responded quickly and didn't speed up again. I'm not sure if using my voice helped relax her or if it better communicated what I wanted from her because she knows the cue from being on the lunge line or both. Whatever. It worked! As I was walking her home, I thought "Mia is my little Teddy. He was a fireball too. I wonder if he had that same agressively eager to please attidude? If only Mims moved and jumped like Teddy..." Mia might not have the best movement or have quite the "hops" like Teddy (one of my students saw a picture of Teddy jumping a brush fence and said, "That horse has mad hops!"), but she tries like Teddy. She will do well because she has grit. She has the attitude of a champion. This is something I can learn from Mia and Teddy. They say, "I may be small and I may not be perfect, but I will try hard, dig deep and do my best." LEFT: Mia getting ready for a hack RIGHT: Teddy getting ready for the Pan Am Games |