I did trot and canter sets on Flo yesterday. Following Jimmy Wofford's fitness plan, we did 3 sets of 5 minute trots with 2 minute walk breaks in between sets on the road. Then, we walked to a near by field that's on a slope and did 3 sets of 4 minute canters with 2 minutes walk breaks in between sets. The trot sets were great on the road (we do those pretty regularly), but the canter sets were a different story. It's been a long, cold, WET winter and we haven't been able to ride anywhere but the road. Since I don't canter my horses on the road (too much concussion and risk of slipping), we weren't cantering ANYWHERE! After my first set, my right calf was BURNING! I wasn't huffing and puffing, my cardio was fine, but I haven't been up out of my stirrups for that long since last season. Flo was excited to canter up the hill...the first time. After that she tired. Flo was the one out of the two of us who was huffing and puffing, that's for sure! She's got a belly like Kate Gosslin pregnant with sextuplets.
I broke my left ankle in college and my husband says I blame all of my riding flaws on my "bad ankle." I'm sorry, but there IS something to be said about barely being able to flex a joint that carries and balances the weight of my body when I'm in the saddle. That being said, THAT'S why I think my right calf burns XC and my left one doesn't. Because my right ankle can flex all the way down, it carries more weight and, consequently, tires more quickly. I also believe this is why Flo more often lands on her left lead after fences.
I played with bridging my reins and was happy with the way Flo slowed and rebalanced when I had my hands planted on her mane with the bridge and brought my upper body back with my leg still asking for energy. When I asked her to rebalance without the bridge, she brought her head up and resisted. With the bridge, my hands were quiet and she actually rounded her neck and brought her back up with out me doing anything but bringing my upper body back and putting my leg on a bit stronger. Cool.
I broke my left ankle in college and my husband says I blame all of my riding flaws on my "bad ankle." I'm sorry, but there IS something to be said about barely being able to flex a joint that carries and balances the weight of my body when I'm in the saddle. That being said, THAT'S why I think my right calf burns XC and my left one doesn't. Because my right ankle can flex all the way down, it carries more weight and, consequently, tires more quickly. I also believe this is why Flo more often lands on her left lead after fences.
I played with bridging my reins and was happy with the way Flo slowed and rebalanced when I had my hands planted on her mane with the bridge and brought my upper body back with my leg still asking for energy. When I asked her to rebalance without the bridge, she brought her head up and resisted. With the bridge, my hands were quiet and she actually rounded her neck and brought her back up with out me doing anything but bringing my upper body back and putting my leg on a bit stronger. Cool.