Pain is part of growing

My weekly Tuesday night lessons with D have always erred on the side of painful. Reflecting back, I now realize I have fallen off Tillie 5 out of the 7 times under his supervision...always to my horror and embarrassment. (Kind of amazing I havent fallen off more honestly...I swear I am missing counting a few or something).

Not a picture after a fall, but her expression here pretty
much captures her expression shes had after Ive fallen each time,

These lessons arent just painful due to falling off, but the sheer amount D pushes me which requires the use of so much leg. I should essentially have legs of steel by now (and sadly don't). So I realize now, I most likely fall more in D lessons due to how much he forces me to push the boundaries and get out of my comfort zone. 

Last night's lesson was no different as far as pain. It was a wonderfully challenging lesson and can't stress how great a learning experience it was. Please don't take my snarky tone following as it was terrible.

No, there was no falling off for myself or Emma but it wasn't without some huge biffs (which Emma and I always laugh which receives stone cold silence from our trainer). 

Amazing how a screen shot just doesnt do it justice. Good mare for saving by butt.

So here is is in a gif...Gorge Morris would rip me a new one!

I was a bit worried when 20 minutes in to our lesson doing flatwork, I felt like I might die. Right away I was scolded for going around for a while without changing anything. I admit, I hadn't because things felt fine. There was no direction to change anything and more or less D was watching and evaluating...so I plodded along happy as a clam. 

This is something I need to work on...feeling when it is correct vs. Tillie faking me out. I felt like she was soft and supple where as D voiced that she looked like she was bracing and holding herself in the neck (the same critique I have heard many times). Ok so add leg to push through right?! Well then I get rushing...so half halt, leg, half halt leg and just a lot of garbage that isnt working. 

The moment when D insists I try harder so we can be done our lesson already.

To which D says "you can't ride around in the middle of a half halt all the time. Be clearer about the half halt and releasing the inside rein" BAH!! ok fine...dig a little deeper and Tillie becomes a pretzel. Whew...except it only lasts one stride. This is when I know I am in trouble.

When we finally cantered, D had us focusing on shoulder fore and then asking for a more medium canter. Another thing I struggle with - finding a true forward enough medium. I tend to want to over collect Tillie's canter...watching videos of myself its so apparent, but under saddle it feels like we are out of control and too forward. **Sigh** We will get it...

Hey look we have a canter transition! 

So we move on to jumping and my mare had her A game on. While it wasnt quite as on point as the slices lesson but it had more to do with my being off my game while Tillie saved my booty. I just didnt have the balance or body control needed to support her so its amazing really we didnt take out more rails or entire fences for that matter. 

Look!! Mare is capable of an uphill trot after all! 

Here is the whole sequence of events of that last try at this exercise. He wanted us coming in shoulder fore, re-balancing in the line and landing after the last fence straight, but achieve the bend again using the shoulder fore. Not quite what happened here....

Another lovely ride!

Once again, I do not have photo proof or video of the two of us...Just what I could capture sitting on the beast. I need to try to sync up with fellow blogger Emma and start getting more under saddle images.

Anyway, Its a bit chillier here since the weekend so was really expecting a tense Tillie...I was pleasantly surprised again with a nice quiet and soft ride!!! Yay Tillie!

Loopy reins, droopy ears = happy horse mom! 

I think the last few rides of loopy reins for warm up has really made for a much more relaxed and willing horse. She didnt race into the trot this time and the canter transitions werent explosive! They were slightly sticky, but I'd take that over the leaping forward. 

Once I started picking up contact she thought about leaning a bit, but I just put my leg on and said nope we stay "up!" She was much less stiff to the left then she has been lately which was pleasant...I know any lack of bend at this point is my biomechanics issue. I can still feel the right side of my body pulling forward when I track left. I try to open my hip, bend my right knee etc but its just aggravating. 

Not that Tillie seems to care with my flailing around and wiggling. lol

She was much more even in both reins even when changing the rein . While our trot started a bit flat, she moved into the bridle nicely when I asked, without diving. We did a couple of the small fences set up again just to see about maintaining the rhythm and softness through her back and she did it flawlessly! I played a bit too with some lateral movements mostly making sure I could move her haunches where I wanted them and it was so ridiculously easy...if only it was that easy every ride!

I decided to push the limits and hack out in the top field.
Last year Tillie thought there were horse eating gremlins and more often would freak out then behave. 

 Ill admit, when she is this well behaved, my confidence soars. I really feel like we can conquer more and I get a bit braver as a rider - exhibit A: Hacking out in the field with deer leaping and running around.

Clearly Tillie didnt care one bit:

New bits new problems

So this weekend was rainy and chilly - two things Tillie thinks are good excuses to be a bit sassy. We eventers usually dont mind a bit of bad weather, but it was really windy as well which caused me to sit on the sidelines until yesterday. Despite it still being chilly and dreary out, yesterdays ride Tillie chose to remain pretty sane sans sassy (but not totally!)

New Bit:

So my last post I asked about possible new bits to try so Tillie couldn't lean as much as she is now on the shaped snaffle. I opted to try for an eggbutt slow twist snaffle. 

Result:

It didnt make a screamingly huge difference, but it did make a difference in the canter. She was a bit inconsistent in it at first but I let her walk and trot around with a loose rein to get a feel for it at first. I am trying to re-attack the basics and trotting on a loose rein should be something Tillie can do. I know canter should be too, but her excitement levels dont really allow me to trust that right now...

Anyway...I felt I could half halt much better and give back more than the other bit. A few times could get her to sigh or breath out and relax which for her at the trot is HUGE! We will see if it sticks! 

Tillie says, "That was fun!"

One more because shes pretty!

Pot roast and pumpkin beer (Yea we do it fancy in my house) after a cold day! 

Found this gem online today and it sounded so much like tillie: http://www.horsecollaborative.com/15-moments-that-perfectly-sum-up-riding-a-cold-backed-horse/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cold-horse 

Luckily the weather isnt so hot I can start using out BOT blanket to help!

Dusting off cobwebs...

RECAP:

I know I have been a bit MIA from blogging, but work and design work has really taken its toll on saddle time lately :( I have only sat on Tillie 3 times since shes been cleared to return into work which is NOT enough for my high energy powder keg. 

BUT luckily, fellow blogger Miseventer has kindly helped ride her as well. I am sincerely hoping she will consider taking over part of the ride on Tillie to help her stay in more consistent work and help me get more mileage. I really think at this point Tillie needs repetition and just more time under saddle to mentally settle in and accept the aids better. 

Anyway...I didnt realize my students were filming and discovered a few stills and a video from our ride.

Tillie having a nice uphill canter! 

CANTER WORK:

Her canter work right now is a bit of a struggle...poor Miseventer had the misfortune (lol alliteration?) of experiencing just how ride Tillie can get when she feels something is too difficult. Since coming back into work she really looks for me or her rider to "help" her more and attempts to really lean or hang on one rein or both depending on that moment in time.

My solution was to try to do some over exaggerated counter bending, inside bending and then riding straight. I found this allowed me to alleviate tension on one of my reins and I could soften without her leaning on it and fill up the outside rein more appropriately rather than hanging on the inside rein. 

So the below clip is my attempting it at the canter, which at the end asking her to go straight (which is when she goes out of the view) she breaks so I circled back to try again...she did do it, but unfortunately this is all my students shot.

GOAL:

My immediate goal is to get her canter trot canter transitions back to being smoother...especially canter-trot as she really has a hard time responding to my seat to come down to the trot. She will happily canter along in this itty bitty canter rather than come down to the trot. We were just ironing this out before our break so cant expect too much yet...

BIT SUGGESTIONS?

I have been toying with the idea of trying her in a slightly harsher bit for jumping since earlier this summer with her tendency to cross her jaw and race - right now she goes in a HS Shaped snaffle which shes been going really well in for dressage since this winter. 

I do think she would benefit from a few rides flatting in more bit right now too...so I am looking for suggestions! I was thinking a slow twist snaffle...anyone else have any recommendations?! 

Guess who's back in business!!

Hopefully without any more hiccups!  Tillie is back in work and we have had 2 rides under saddle so far. I rode in the PF jump saddle and so far realllllly LOVE IT! I may have to ask Emma write a guest blog on it since shes been borrowing it and riding in it much more then I have so far...

After the first ride back! 

First ride, we kept it simple and I really only expected basics. I re-pushed some buttons to make sure they are fully installed and not sticky or rusty ;) All was good and there was no sass or unnecessary excitement. 

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Just cuz shes cute! 

Second ride back we braved the canter...and it woke the beast a bit to say the least. She was perfectly fine and did exactly what I expected which was celebrate how fun going fast is!!! She did some head tossing, shoulder flinging and finally some dolphin diving/leaping to really express how much she enjoyed stepping up a gear. 

Clearly please with herself after the second ride...notice my stubben has slipped forward from the head-between-the-knees celebrations. 

Tillie really clearly enjoyed herself in our ride and was eager to work. A good friend who has seen Tille go a lot over the last two years remarked how even she looked and it looked like she was the most "sound" and comfortable ever!

One of my students taking Tillie out after our ride.

Tillie has gained quite the belly while out of work!