Day 30 & 31 ~ Both Sides of the Ride

Well yesterday was probably the first time I've felt like Lindsay was a bit perturbed with me. It happens though, it's hard to feel in love every moment, even with those we are madly in love with.

We rode really late, edge of dark and the bugs were thick..one even flew in my eye..that joker stung like crazy! No telling how much they were driving her nuts :( But we plowed through the thick haze of bugs and still got in a productive ride.

I started for the first time really riding both sides of her...Up until now I'd ask her to follow her nose and leg yield and move her shoulders, rib cage and hips over, but always off my inside aids more so....never giving her a stopping point, just letting that energy leak out. In the beginning I like to give them a chance to get really supple and bendy and I don't mind that energy leaking out, it seems to help them really understand what I want....and I Love a limber, bendy horse..do not want to discourage that at all :) But now she pretty well understood how to move off my inside aids and it was time to add some outside, to give her a stopping point, a wall to be pushed into. We worked lots on riding perfectly straight...or as perfect as possible and riding off my outside aids more than inside. For quite some time it seemed as if it was not going to sink in, but towards the end..even in the midst of the thick bugs and the now pitch black dark it did. We managed to ride some really straight lines down the center line and diagonals. It was good to see that even in times where most horses would have pitched a major temper tantrum..especially at her level of training.. Lindsay held her own..and even though frustrated, she pushed through and we ended on a very good note....still in love :)

Today we rode again and started w/ the same concept of riding more off my outside aids and riding both sides of her. We practiced octagonal circles at the walk and trot using mostly my outside aids to turn and only guiding with my inside rein if absolutely necessary. That was a fabulous exercise for her and she really seemed to understand the concept. She also seemed to have digested last nights lesson and was much more understanding in general regarding the outside aids. Man did it make a difference when we stepped into the canter. Having more control of that shoulder enabled me to set her body up much better for her canter depart and we started getting much nicer, quicker transitions up..and on the correct lead :) She also was much better about not popping her shoulder out at the canter and drifting wider, she really let me hold that shoulder in w/ my outside leg and rein. I was so pleased with her! She is really starting to feel like an educated horse underneath me when we ride...and I believe we are at ride #14 today...she amazes me more each day! Every time we add a new "Tool" to our toolbox of cues she gets so much more athletic feeling and coordinated under me. She is becoming quite the mount :)