This is a bit of an overdue post but if you read my last post you'll notice the theme of "lacking motivation" sort of carrying through...
This post will cover my last productive ride on my horse before her feet became too terrible and her feet too sore to expect a good effort. I did attempt a dressage lesson a few days after in the hopes that amazing footing would make it feasible but she was still quite unhappy, SO...shes been having some days off with some therapy on her feet to help her out :)
packing those feetsies
I am super happy with this new farrier and confident shell be back at it in a few days. She was already wayyyy better immediately following her trim yesterday just slightly tender on her left front which required more foot to be taken off than ideal with how shelly her foot was.
Anyway, before that started, I have been really focused on building my position over fences so its stronger and where it needs to be so Tillie can jump the best she can.
I convinced a good friend of mine to set up the infamous one stride grid for us which is not only beneficial for me, but Tillie too.
My form on the front side of the fence isnt bad!!
Grabbing mane on this one - hence the tenser shoulder
It was supremely beneficial for me and it was nice to have someone there to talk me through new ways to manipulate my body. I know I tend to grip with my thighs and I also realized I hunch terribly on the landing side:
like so
So off to work we went!! There were some break throughs, a lot of noise making on my part and Tillie was feeling quite good about herself through this whole thing.
What do you find helps you with your bad habits over fences? Do you do anything you want to fix?
Happy belated 4th of July everyone! I hope it was a safe and enjoyable holiday for all of you...As you saw, we competed on Saturday which I blogged about. Sunday Tillie had a much deserved day off but we hosted a jumper show which ran me totally ragged. I painted and built jumps, moved and set courses and it totally paid off!! We had a great turn out and all was good, I felt productive and good...that is until Monday rolled around.
Caution jump!
Patriotic Theme jump
Part of the whole course
Lattice jump
Closer view
New Skinny!!! I am soo excited to try this :)
I was ok at first. I was well enough to even do a lesson with P at the old stomping grounds...but boy I was exhausted, nauseous and just down for the count afterwards. Luckily some rest and fluids did the trick, but I am aware of now of needing to take note and pace myself.
Anyway, this post is meant to recap the lesson and me trying to break those pesky old habits. I am really trying hard to release more in the air, keep my butt up and out of the saddle and my heels down on landing. I also need to figure out that fine timing of setting her up for a fence but watch I do it without holding her.
My face is priceless...took a bit of a flier to this one
She knows her job well and she is starting to let me know when I start trying to micromanage. Warming up she felt tense and just tight. P said she clearly was in heat and it made sense because she was super spooky the last few days...she only gets like that when shes in heat so I should have suspected. She didnt want me touching her not with my reins or legs but otherwise was happy to do her job...guess she also is channeling her inner hunter ;)
Me getting left behind on this one!
As much as I dont like riding her like that, its good for me because its forcing me to leave her alone. I need to work on not doing soooo much and it was kind of nice the longer we went, the more I could just stay out of her way. Its a bit different than when I lesson with Dom or Dan jumping, but I like this side of it too...It kind of is a nice test to see what Tillie is retaining on her own.
As you can see we kinda struggled with this blue jump and getting the right distance. Then P changed it so the white was the front rail and stripes on the back and VOILA - perfect distances to it every time. So odd?!
I worked on trying to stay out of the tack and be softer, but my shoulders kind of crept forward before fences, but I cant say I hate it entirely.
P gave us a few things for homework to help, but all in all was happy with what she saw and said she did see more power from behind rather than Tillie pushing from her shoulder. As much as I worry she felt off from being in heat or sore or whatever, re-watching the videos and she looks pleased to do her job. Her ears are up, shes tracking up and looks pretty relaxed.
So I am trying not to worry and just let her tell me when she needs rest.
After this weekend's outing, I decided I had to try to squeeze in another Dom lesson before the weekend...with the way this week was panning out, our normal lesson later in the week wasnt going to work. We managed to get in a time today as long as we hauled up there.
Initially, we were going to go XC at Windurra USA again, but the weather had other ideas so we re-routed and rode, for the first time, at Dom's indoor.
I went in explaining to Dom I really wanted more security over those bigger fences when Tillie is jumping large. While this weekend's training out was a good one, I dont want to be in a position where I feel like I need to focus on recovering from getting jumped out the tack, PLUS handling a combo, PLUS terrain out XC.
Mare glare for days
Dom was really understanding and said it isnt surprising with how powerful he's seen her jump. He agreed some of it was most likely do to my ingrained habit of sitting up too fast and jumping the back side of fences like I am jumping a down bank.
So the goal was simple...keep the exercise simple and focus on staying out of the tack. Basically an entire lesson staying in 2-point. I must admit, I was thinking I would get winded or tired really quickly. I am proud to say, I didnt at all but do need to work on the jumping portion more ( I still am having the tendency to lock my knees and ankles on landing).
Dom pretty quickly into warming up suggested I try his saddle - a monoflap Stubben S Zaria Optimum.
Hello goregous
I was a bit skeptical at first but agreeable (not that Dom would EVER know I was skeptical...unless he reads this blog that is). I tend to feel really insecure in other saddles. Its just more or less that feeling of not knowing it or being comfortable so was pretty certain we would have to switch back. Much to my surprise, my leg instantly felt stabilized. I could feel my body adjusting at first, testing the thigh and calf blocks before settling in right where it needed. It was odd at first not feeling the bulk of the girth and oddly disconcerting, yet really nicely balanced all at the same time.
Dom had me feel it out and set the tone with cantering around in it and then in two point to really establish my weight down in my leg:
Once satisfied with that we moved onto warming up with cavelletti...which I am noticing Dom loves to use alot at first and a training technique I need to incorporate more even if I dislike them (which btw is something i realized today probably because they are freakin hard!)
Here is us warming up over them in a serpentine trying to get our leads...please excuse Tillie's sass at me for making her turn a bit harder (a bit of a theme of todays lesson):
You can hear Dom helping to coach me to stay up out of the saddle without using my hands or sitting too soon...easier said then done! Not on film was a much longer discussion about it with him empathizing as to why I do it, her sass and her past habit if landing downhill and in a heap, but despite her sass, in his opinion he really isnt landing like that anymore so I need to be better about letting her land on her own and figure it out.
Can you say micro manage too much on my part?!
At least the above video we get our leads consistently and manage to complete the exercise fairly well until the very last gappy one...but hey Ill take it! I realized i dont like these so much because Tillie really badly wants to get flat and throw herself at them, just like the last jump in this video above...I realize by doing more of these, that elusive perfect half halt will come more nicely.
Then Dom added the jumps to the mix with the same concept, just stay out of the tack. Tillie was all fine and dandy, but make sure you wait alllll the way to the end. Sure enough its right after Dom convinces me to be nice and be softer to let her land and figure things out...she pulls her old sass I havent seen in a really long time:
It doesnt freak me out nearly as much as it used to, even if it looks like I get unseated, it doesnt feel that way anymore. In all honesty, she was just really excited and feeling good it felt like.
Dom agreed, if you listen he calls her a monkey! LOL. After filming he said it was a much nicer jump on my part but it was a bit of a longer distance then he wanted hence the excitement and at home we want to get a bit closer while in competition that is acceptable for sure.
So here we get a bit better. But I still am being really hard on myself and see I just dont keep my darn butt up in the air. My lower leg is solid, it isnt sliding, but I still really want to snap back with my upper body and sit my butt in the saddle. At least we start to find a rhythm, but Tillie was a lot sassier today about the change of pace...plus her massage on Sunday I think has her feeling realllllly nicely.
Below, she finally fell into a rhythm over the line but the Oxer we just didnt see the right distance so we started to drift and got a pretty long spot which resulted in pulling a rail and Tillie really getting mad about it:
Unfortunately my videographers had a bit of an issue, so werent able to capture our last but really awesome jump over it...go figure! But they did manage to get the line in one more time, which rode more forward and in a clean 5 rather than a short, added 6:
All in all, it was a tough lesson...and one I am determined to keep working on at home. I am being really tough on myself, but know I have a ton of work to do. I can see my tension in my lower leg on landing and incredibly frustrated with just keeping my silly butt out of the saddle!!! I know it takes time to change an old habit, I just dont like being the student that requires repeating the same thing more than once is all.
I am glad to know though Tillie isnt hurting after the step up! I am set on doing more conditioning though, but please to know she isnt unhappy or backing off her job. I am starting to consider taking more lessons on other horses so I can keep practicing without over working her.
So this is a pretty huge deal for me...not only is it Tillie's first novice, but mine as well. I really thought I was destined to be a forever BN rider (not that there is anything wrong with that at all!). I just have set my sights to do more if possible.
First time seeing Tillie since Rolex!!
So my entry went in today for our first novice next saturday...and I was super confident before leaving for Rolex. Our jump schools and XC outing were on point even when it wasnt...we were able to ride through it and just keep on keeping on to get it done.
But since coming back, we just feel rusty.
Isnt she just so cute!?
I didnt waste any time...my first ride back from Rolex Wednesday was a lesson with Dom. Needless to say, it wasnt our best ride ever and was a bit interesting. By the end of the lesson we cleaned things up, but it still just felt a bit out of sync.
Tillie totally loving the spring grass and being in heat
It doesnt help she recently changed fields for the spring-summer, is back out on grass and is also in heat. OHHHH the joys of a mare in heat...when leg = GO but not soften like we have ingrained sooooo much.
Tillie is the angry unicorn while i am and ninja cat
The next day I had a dressage lesson with C and things finally came together a little bit more, but not without the head tossing and sass from Tillie expressing all her feelings.
I tried not to get discouraged by this OR our really shitty rainy weather here....apparently we now live in seattle.
luckily our ring held up ok today
So I was pretty determined to get in a jump school with P being away to get in one more solid school in of coursework at novice height to see if I still felt ready like before Rolex.
Our warm up wasnt spectacular, and I did choose to put her in the pelham (THANK GOD). She was certainly feeling her oats and getting that nice soft canter proved to be a bit of a challenge. Tillie started out with one thing in mind...its DERBY day and we just go flat and fast.
We launch apparently, not jump
But once I checked her a few times, a few things clicked and despite some more bloopers you will get to see, it still felt like we got through it together. I stuck with her and Tillie did honestly try despite having had a less than full workload.
Yea.....3' aint no big deal
Here is our first course...it isnt too terrible, but you can see when she tends to get flat.
Then she got pissed to have to do it all again and then the bloppers started:
When we apparently forget how to horse....or anything at all:
SO take two:
Not really much better...A for effort....or asinine?
I regrouped and gave tillie a pep talk and said look mare, you and I can do this and despite the footing, we can make a nice clean round right?
Well sorta.....
Not great, but at least we got it done eh?
so I decided ONE more go at it and try to slow it all down a bit. Make tillie not think about getting to the other side so much as just jump the freakin jumps. She was getting a bit tired by this point so slightly heavy. You can see my reins are longer/slipping more BUT it was a nicer smoother round:
All in all I was super excited my position felt pretty good minus a few release issues...thats just a work in progress. I felt like I did a better job looking up and stuck with her despite some of her more powerful launches.
She had some less than stellar moments, but I am please with her efforts and think if we can muddle through here than maybe just maybe our novice next weekend wont be so awful!
This past weekend was hopefully mother nature's last hurrah for winter...sick cruel joke if you ask me to have sleet/snow/rain for the first day of spring. Eventers are known for sticking it out through all weather, so we all loaded up, layered up and headed to our weekly saturday jump lesson with P.
Very wet and very cold lesson
I am not going to hide it, I was a bit of a baby after we stopped moving after warm up and in between our turn trying each exercise. But in my defense, my layers were not staying waterproof and ultimately soaked through which had me shivering and teeth chattering after a few minutes of sitting still. Tillie really didnt see to care and would have much preferred to nap instead.
#marefaces
Before our lesson, we saw the fitter to try a few different saddles to see what would work. Tillie was a star and stood patiently through the entire appointment even when it came to hopping on and off her a few times to try her moving in each one as well.
Yawning / Tired Tillie
We were hopeful as we drove to the lesson that the weather would hold off since it seemed to lighten a bit. But once we arrived it was pretty steadily coming down so we headed to the indoor to warm up. P came in and announced it wasnt doing anything that hard anymore so we should go to the outdoor ring (which is preferable with less dust and more space).
The lesson seemed straightforward, but it could have been my brain was so distracted from being wet and cold I just glazed over.
Or froze over...
I had a bit of a realization in this lesson. I really do a poor job as a rider with the approach to the first fence on course and lines the first time through...I can trot into fences all day long, but as soon as you ask me to come in cantering I just cant sit up and wait for that first fence. Exhibit A:
Before going into this, I had asked P if I could just try trotting the skinny fence since skinnies tend to be the fences Tillie sucks back and questions by fishtailing a bit. P told me quite boldly no lol and to own it and we would be fine. Clearly from the video, Tillie could have cared less.
P sent us around to try it again to clean up the first fence by using more of our turn on the approach which seemed to work well. I also rode a but more forward to the coop...which we didnt remove a stride or anything, it was more mental for me to ride her without needing to do much and let her figure it out:
So P had us string together the entire course together:
So we had a bit of a blip on the outside line...and I clearly dont know how to freakin wait with my shoulders, but Tillie was a solid citizen and saved my butt. I can see a few of the jumps where I micromanage she isnt jumping as well, but Im trying not to worry so much about her form and realize, shes getting over these without issue and isnt over faced so I need to stop.
P had us try the outside line on more time to get the striding right and man, when the forward stride works it feels so great...and it makes me realize I need to get more comfortable riding out of this forward stride now that Tillie is allowing me to half halt her without losing her mind:
I didnt really think all that much of good or bad outcome from the lesson...probably from being so could. But either way, its def one to check off for testing riding in crappy and less than ideal weather right?!
The still over the second fence of the open 3 stride line. LOVE Tillies form here :)
...is a lot harder sometimes than in lessons. Well duh! In lessons, I have an instructor holding my hand, giving me confidence which also gives Tillie confidence. So yea, it makes sense why the magic comes easier in lessons with the puppeting my instructors do that manipulates me and Tillie right where we need to be.
the beginnings of what we were trying to attempt (except this is the RIGHT way to do it)
The point of this post is to sort of laugh at myself and learn from my schooling ride last night with my barn mates. We had it all planned out. We would jump some jumps and set up a one stride line exercise of oxers.
Simple right? We do it every saturday in our P jump lessons...except P is there slowly building them up rather then putting them right up to the final height.
We are all smart adults...but for some reason we didnt think to go hmm maybe we should put these down to cross rails first.
So Tillie and I warm up beautifully. I let her canter out a bit more and she responded coming back nicely. My thought for this was, if I can find this balance during the show season where shes got enough gas to safely compete, but not too much she is harder to half halt Ill be golden.
Anyway, we pop over a small cross rail a few times, then a few random 2'6 ish verticals and she was fine. I worked on my release and trying to find a good distance in our rhythm and not always reverting to adding since that tends to be my go to.
The longer (non short) spot really promotes tillie to stretch better and jump up rather than over her shoulder
So after those felt good I looked at Brita and said ok lets try the one stride line (two one strides). I got a nice canter and made the turn...which in hindsight I should have circled because Tillie lost her shoulder but I closed my thigh and thought hey we got this.
Jump #1 we swiveled with Tillie taking off and seeing the other jumps and just reallllly backed off. so I landed in a heap, lost my left stirrup and in true - lets get er done fashion sat up, closed my leg and clucked her on.
Looking back to a more successful jump
We got through it. Barely. Tillie landed and cantered off like we just finished and grand prix course with my left stirrup flopping around and all. Which I was super excited about in a way because A) I ALWAYS lose my right stirrup not my left which means maybe, just maybe I am evening out from my last few schooling rides working on my own alignment and B) I didnt feel at all unseated without that stirrup which hopefully means my stickability is improving.
MMMMAAAAYBE we should have been smarter about this and opted to take turns slowly building up to a 2'6 one stride grid eh?
I cant speak for the rest of us, but I can attest that my brain wasnt all there yesterday with how stressful life has been lately in other non horsey areas so Im giving myself a "laugh it off and Ill try to use more of my brain next time".
We did ultimately lower it and go through a few more times just fine and just sort of play around to rebuild our confidence (mostly mine). I found myself not feeling too happy with Tillie being uphill enough and wondered if I was being too hard on her, accurate in what I felt or if the judge from Sunday was still in my head.
Tillie also felt a bit different when switching diagonals which leads me to believe she was a bit weaker on one of her hinds...which it felt the right hind again to me. I always worry, but am trying to chaulk it up to some pretty crummy footing probably making her sore because when I got off to check her legs and poultice her to be over the top safe, both legs felt cold as ice.
So I did feel a teeeeennnyy bit better when a barn mate said she sneaked in a video and I saw it showing Tillie jumping pretty darn uphill. So maybe I need to stop worrying so much about it and just let her figure it out:
Shes getting over stuff without having trouble, she doesnt take rails down a lot at all...so the uphill thing? Who cares (well yes it matters but I think it will come). My horse may not be a power house jumper, but she has game, is brave and does have scope even if it doesnt look all that amazing. And hey, these struggle bus rides that I apparently plan but not enough...Tillie clearly tells me what she thinks and it keeps us knowing where we need to be right?
As far as seeing my form, I now am realizing my release is getting there and my heels are too...but I now notice it isnt the release that is posing a problem, its how quickly I am sitting back in the saddle on landing. So back to the age old question of how to prevent that without my shoulders getting ahead?! UGH.
I am usually way too exhausted after teaching lessons all day to ride my own horse...but the weather was a beautiful spring - like day in the mid-60's that I couldnt resist. It was so fun too because I had my trusted 3 musketeers to help as jump crew and video...these are a few of my more advanced students that ALWAYS help and are a huge lifesaver many times over.
The end of our ride - all smiles and proud we can not only jump, but we can jump big and keep our heads screwed on:
I actually used Tillie in an earlier lesson doing this very same exercise just as small x's and was super impressed with her keeping her cool and how well my student rode her (one of my three musketeers). I do always get a bit nervous for both my students and for Tillie because I care about each of them and want to set them both up for success. I was quite proud of them both!!!
So when it came time for my ride, I had the students come down and give me a lesson...I said ok, you tell me what to do and what to fix...what you see happening. I really want them to start being able to talk about what they see. They are great listeners and soak it all in, but I find by allowing them to say it out loud they can start "owning" the information on their own.
Look at those knees!
I also realized this was my first time jumping outside of a lesson in months....and outside the indoor since before the blizzard. So I tried to remind myself to give Tillie the benefit of the doubt and work towards my goals of releasing more/upper body work and heels down. There was a one stride grid set up made of two one stride fences with the middle fence as an oxer.
So I warmed up while they set the grid height lower(I walked the distances first to be sure!) and started off trotting into the grid. Tillie was a bit excited so I did a few times through halting her at the fence. She needed the check a few times and did blow up on me at one point when she turned one of the one strides into a bounce...but it was for one circle afterwards and to be expected.
Sadly it wasnt caught on video.
Good mare Tillie!
I did school over a skinny a few times around 2-2'3 to start making her look for the fence/get more comfortable with it...my goal for next schooling is to set a few different types out like the barrels on the sides and the mini coops we have. But once she jumped it both ways ok, I stuck with the grid.
But this gem was...not sure whats more awkard, her legs everywhere, her neck or my butt.
The photo above really captures an awkward moment that really didnt feel all that awkward when riding through it. I had been slowly raising the height in the grid, but wanted to test her scope a bit and my positioning with this last fence and this was the first time jumping it at around 3ft. I dont think she expected it and sorta scraped by with an "UGHHH I WILL NOT TOUCH IT!!" but looking like a lama in the process. But hey, I am releasing and my leg is awesome! And my post worrying about folding...well apparently I can.
WWEEEEEE!!
It felt really good to jump around and feel like I knew what to do, how to adjust and give the kids a few good laughs and let them tell me to release more, heels down!! etc. It actually really helped! I made a point to work on my goals and trust Tillie as she got better and more relaxed.
I mostly stuck to trotting in to keep things slow and because its so beneficial for Tillie but when she would land in canter and give me a nice rhythm I would do that as well.
Watching the footage, I am super impressed with how great Tillie is jumping and lifting over the first two fences...the last one you can tell she still isnt perfect. But I am reassuring myself this will come with time since it wasnt that long ago she jumped even the little fences like that.
I do think I did a decent job working on my release and could see how it allowed Tillie to stretch more. Heres a clip from the summer over something little where shes jumping not so great like the last fence in the grid. So it does reassure me shell get there!
So heres the entire footage I got from schooling...see if you can hear the one time through that starts off with me not counting properly, yelling Tillie, WAIT....GOOD GIRL!!!! hahaha
What I love and hate about winters here is how up and down the weather can be...one day youll have fifty degree sunshine and the next frigid and frozen. This last Saturday for our jump lesson we happened to be on the kinder warmer day and lots of snow melting!
Tillie says I am ready!
I took the opportunity to practice self loading a bit more with Tillie before leaving...just going on and off, going partially on and standing and then backing partially off and waiting. Tillie was a good girl and it helped with her impatience of standing in the trailer before leaving. She can stand beautifully once we get where we are going, but at home will paw and get antsy. Not a huge deal at all...but something if we can work on it, why not.
We were solo this week in the trailer with our usual trailer mate out of town, but Tillie really didnt care.
Trailering alone means more hay more me!
It was pretty uneventful, which I am really starting to love. We tacked up and this time, I didnt even bring my pelham as a "just-in-case-we-need-it" and I had a moment of crap what I we do...but decided to start giving Tillie the benefit of the doubt and just go with it.
All professional and business now...who needs the pelham!?
We had a much smaller group this lesson with a lot less going on...so it was really nice and quiet. No distractions really and the atmosphere just felt really relaxed and much less tense. I noticed re-watching the videos that I had a much longer rein and trust in Tillie which lead to a much happer looser and relaxed Tillie.
Happy as a clam
Warming up on the flat Tillie seemed a bit inconsistent...just mistepping here or unbalanced there. Not hugely, just minor things that she would give a little head shake at threatening to be bad. First transition into canter she did a mini explosion, but for her it was just a matter of letting her get the wiggles out and then she was perfectly quiet when we did a few more both ways.
She really wanted to suck behind the bit and trick me into grabbing at her. In the confined space like this indoor she is really tricky - She likes to have me help her, but doesnt want the contact to be too heavy or a certain type depending on where we are in the ring. I tried not to play into it and just stayed steady and let her sort it out.
Nice Knees!!!
So P set up an outside 3 stride line to warm up over and we trotted up to it pretty darn consistent and without rushing...Tillie jumped both like she hasnt seen a fence before but landed quiet and together so just one more time over it was fine. Here is one of the warm up attempts through the line:
I love in the indoor I can ride Tillie forward without worrying about the other side. The indoor naturally makes her more aware and careful making it way more pleasant. The 3 strides rode really nice and smoothly.
P put them up to about 2'6 and then added a jump on the opposite outside line with a barrel under it and had us try this line. Tillie was pretty whatever and unphased by it:
I love having these videos to watch back because I can reflect and almost get more bang for my buck and experience my lesson all over again. Not to mention, visually see what works and what doesnt. I noticed this lesson Tillies form is really getting better! She is stretching out over more of the fences and starting to use herself better.
My equitation woes look like they have helped improve my own form too!
P built on this other outside line and added another fence making it a 2 stride. It gave the horses a bit more to think about and required a bit more of a push ride. I tend to prefer trotting to jumps with Tillie's old tendency to get too forward. I know I need to let this go because she has proven she isnt a nut job anymore, but old habits die hard and this line I really was unsure about cantering in. Luckily, Tillie ate it up and again was pretty chill about it. I LOVED her form over the first fence in this line:
A Still of us over the barrel...Really proud of my equitation! and look Tillie is stretching out!
P then set up two fences in the middle of the ring that eventually would make up a course. I love that she sets these things up, has us jump them individually or in pieces before doing them all together in a course. Good thing because these jumps were a bit more narrow then Tillie is used to (I believe they were 8ft poles rather then the 12ft) and she questioned the gate the first time. It was barely anything, and kind of adorable...I simple said "no no" and encouraged with a little squeeze and she said "well ok":
The hogsback was a ton of fun! Mostly becasue it was the one I was the most skeptical to jump since it looked like soooo much. But it rode really nicely.
I think Tillie has a secret Hunter buried deep somewhere we are tapping into.
P put the diagonal fences up (the hogs back she said was 2'9) and then had us try piecing together the 2 stride outside line with the diagonal fences trying to think about riding a nice approach. Tillie and I really found our groove at this point and the distances came easy. Usually I need to count out loud and loudly to keep a rhythm and sort a distance out. Tillie was all business and really not giving any care to the higher height of the fences:
Big smiles from me! That last fence was just a moment so in tune with each other it felt sooooo good.
After this run through P changed how we were running the course making the turns much tighter....These diagonal fences subsequently because trickier more technical rides. P told us we had to ride more forward through the corner and really sit on the outside hind leg to keep them balanced through the turn. P had us thinking about counter bending through the turn to keep them straighter so their hind legs didnt squirt out behind them losing impulsion:
Our little blip was my error after the hogs back and not setting Tillie down enough and committing to the change. She does tend to get bracey and rather then sit and make her do it before the corner, I tried not to micromanage, but it turned into me not riding enough. Because I got the change so late tillie questioned the gate again, but was a good, honest girl and took it anyway.
Pay attention Mom!!!
Notice this round, P changed the first 3 stride line to become a two stride with the second fence an oxer. This helped getting balance back and regrouping happen a little easier for the tight turn to the hogs back.
Soaring over the oxer.
P had me try the diagonal lines one more time to make sure I got the change sooner, unfortunately the first part got missed, but I did get the simple change before the corner!:
All in all, I was super please with this lesson. Tillie and I both seemed to be on the same page and when I lacked Tillie picked up the slack like a seasoned pro. I am so impressed with how much shes improved and this footage from this lesson showed her form becoming much more consistent. Sure she still wants to curl under herself still at times, but shes stretching sooo much better and really sitting now. Here's to hoping this snow they are calling for isnt THAT bad or misses us so we can keep working at it!
