Fall Weather is for Riding

Time to get back to riding the Arabs and the Quarter Horses.  I'm still thinking of what name I should be using now.  I'm thinking Messick Quarter Horses & Arabian Performace and Endurance Horses.  I'll be having my website updated over the next few months, so I need to decide.

The Arabs,

 

Allie

 

I just love her head!

 



 

Bonita when I first got her,

 

and under saddle.  She is so smooth.

 

Shaggy, just love his trot!  He is for sale now.

 

Duke

 

Duke is fun to ride. Fantastic lope!

 

Duke as a 3 year old.  I need to get him back to looking like this, but he is 15 now, so we'll see.

 

And Sox, the 12 year old Arab gelding that I bought for the fall trail rides and CTR's. 

I can't wait to do the next to Open CTR's on him.  I decided to get him as he is more seasoned than Allie, and I can work on me this yearto go the distance.  Allie will be ready next year!

I hope you are getting some fall rides in too!  The wind isn't blowing as much as the last 2 days, so I should get a few rides in today!

1000 Miles!

I've ridden 1000 miles this year on my horses!  A group of us belong to the Distance Derby, where we are keeping track of our miles and hours.

Either in the fields or in the arena or down some trails, I've ridden quite a few different horses this year, but my main mounts were Shaggy and Savannah, starting in Jan.  I added Duke and a few rides on Starlet.  Then the Arabs, Allie and Bonita, joined the herd, and I put some time on them in May and June.  Savannah was sold in June, then by mid-July, it got too hot to ride, even during early mornings.  I started riding again last week, and added Sox, an Arab gelding, to the mix.

Today, I knew I was going to cross the 1000 mark.  I made sure I was riding Shaggy!  He has been my main mount these last 3 years.

I'm going to miss him when I sell him later in Sept.  I need time for the Arabs. 

But for now, I'll enjoy the cooler fall days, that are yet to come, and enjoy my rides on Shag in the fields and at the Centered Riding Clinic.

I just can't wait to ride the fields!

Patience

Allie

Once, about 10 years ago, I asked God for patience. I'll never forget this. I went to work for a grade school, helping a child that has behavioral problems. I'm back to working with horses.

Bonita

Then God gave me many horses to work with, some young and some older.  Now he brought me Arabs.  And I'm loving them.  To me, they are not any different than working with a sensitive Quarter Horse.

Duster

The horses are tied in the barn for a short time to help with patience.  Learn to stand still.  Learn to stand still when your buddy leaves.  Learn to stand still when you are alone.  Learn to stand still when other horses come into the barn or leave.

 Honey

Some horses, like Honey, just need to learn to wear a saddle.  She is extra sensitive, and needs to learn to be comfortable with a saddle on her back.

Shaggy just gets to eat!  So he thinks.  He got to work on his patience today too.  He stands tied all the time, until he has to wait on some other horse coming and going.  He had a patience training time today.

It's been awhile since I've posted...

 On Shaggy at the FAMDR

Wow, it's been 2 weeks since I blogged!  With the nice weather, I'm outside more.  Conditioning 2 horses on longer miles plus spending time with 3-5 other horses takes up my day, along with paperwork and trying to post clearanced tack store inventory on facebook, which I haven't done much of that the last few weeks either!  I'll blame the weather!

 Views at Turkey Creek

This month has been a busy horsey month.  The first weekend, I went to Turkey Creek, Newcastle, NE to help judge a ACTHA ride.  A friend car and trailer pooled with me.  We both took our gaited horses and we were able to ride Friday evening after settling in, and Sat and Sun afternoons after judging.  We put on about 23 miles.

Covered pavilion at Turkey Creek

The next weekend was the NECTRA clinic, which I'll post what I remember doing.  Now, memory has to kick in! NECTRA is the Nebraska Competitive Trail Ride Associaiton, a division of NATRC,North American Trail Ride Conference.
 

Distance Derby Riders at the FAMDR

Last weekend started on Friday with the FAMDR, the Friday After Mother's Day Ride, which Tammy, horsetrailriders.com, organizes.  I think there were over 100 riders, mostly women.  A few guys ride along as safety riders, but I think they come to enjoy the ride also.  We rode a 14 mile roundtrip stretch on a great trail from Valparaiso to Loma, NE.

This past Saturday a training horse went home.  I showed the owner what the horse was acting like walking around the barns, standing tied, being in the arena by himself.  She had brought her other horse, so we went to Branched Oak Lake, which is about 25 minutes from me, to ride the trails.  The training horse rode great.  He is a 9 year old part Arab, part Paint, and it is just his personality to be a little high strung when he is by himself.  The owner had ponied him as a youngster and worked him a lot, but he just remained goosey at things.  I hope the consistent month has made him calmer for her!

We had some rain Sat evening and night, but even though it dried up on Sun afternoon, hubby and I relaxed some.  We cleaned up some paperwork in the office, froze some of the strawberries that we had picked, and went to a gun show.  Well, he went in to the gun show while I did some internet work.

Lately, I've been posting more on my Messick Quarter Horse Facebook page, about the lessons and events I'm doing.  I'll have to get back to posting more updates here!  I have a Centered Riding clinic here in another week and excited about that.  My level 3 instructor is coming and I have 10 riders!

I've been spending a lot of time riding and enjoying the 2 new Arabs, Allie and Bonita.  Bonita has the sweetest lope.  Allie is starting to pick up speed at the trot and I think she is going to have a ground eating extended trot!

The review of the NECTRA Open Clinic was:

Open Obstacles at CTR Clinic

Clinician Cheri Jeffcoat, Past Open Rider

ON GROUND:

First, we came into the arena without horses to have a question and answer session.  Cheri gave her advice on what she would do at obstacles, preparing for obstacles, nutrition, etc.

Then we came into the arena with only halters and lead ropes on the horses.  Cheri wanted us to rub the horses all over to get them to relax.  A lot of what she said to do during this clinic will transfer to when you ride them.  The 10-15 minutes that we took to rub our horses set us up to have a more relaxing training time with them.

We walked with the horse, stopping, and we waited until the horse stopped.  We worked on leading and stopping from both sides.

We were to back the horse, without turning around.  Stop, walk backwards and have horse back.  We worked on both sides.

We were to walk the horse 1 step at a time.  This sets the horse up to take just 1 step when it is needed on the trail.

We walked over logs, stopping with front feet over 1 log, counting to 5, walk on. We were to lift the horses head and front end by lifting up on the lead rope. This will help the horse to lift his/her feet and not hit the logs.

We worked on having the horse do forehand turns by moving hip both directions, working from both sides.  We did the same with having the horse do pivots, working both sides to move the shoulder.  And we worked on having the horse side pass, working both sides.

ON HORSE:

Now, my memory has to kick in, but I think we did a mixture of walking and stopping, walking 1 step at a time, and stopping and waiting.

We walked and trotted over logs, lifting the horse’s head up as we go over the legs, to help the horse to lift his/her feet. We walked over the first 1 or 2 logs, then stopped and waited over the 3^rd log. 

While trotting over logs, we were to be in a 2-point seat position as if we were going uphill.  Our lower legs were to be solid on the horse.  We were to hold with our thigh so our lower legs wouldn’t move.

I can’t remember if we practiced the pivots, forehand turns and sidepass while mounted. 

We did drag a line that was attached to about a dozen plastic jugs.  My horse wanted to see what others were dragging, but he didn’t like to drag it, as he went sideways.

We worked on straddling a log by the length of the log, which the horses wanted to step over it. 

We worked on opening and closing the gate, by asking the horse to back through it.

Everything we do on the ground with the horse transfers to when we ride!

What a great clinic!

Shaggy's Side is Looking Better

Only 3 days since we have seen Shaggy's hair loss.

There even seems to be some hair growing back, or coming in.

And he looks like he is finally shedding out, so he won't be hot and itchy!

Shaggy's Side

Poor Shaggy!

We've had extremely warm days and the horses haven't totally shed.  I had rinsed him Friday before going to my Western Dressage Group lesson.  Saturday, I rode Savannah since I was riding the fields with friends.  Tom had actually caught Shaggy for me while I was getting another horse out, but decided to change horses.  We would have noticed this Saturday or at feed time.

It looks like Shaggy laid down late Saturday or Sunday morning and rolled to get some loose hair off. I only have a dry lot here with limited grass, and I think the dirt clumps stuck to the loose hair, and since the loose hair isn't entirely loose, it pulled all his hair off!!!

 I've never had a horse do this. This looks so sore. I'm treating it with a product like Vetricyn, which sprays on and turns into a gel. I also have Microtek spray for skin problems and fast healing. I sure hope this starts to grow hair soon, and not white hair.

I've heard where you can rub bacon grease on areas and hair won't come in white. What do you think? I sure don't want this area to be white. But, first, I just want him to heal.

I'm just glad that today is windy and the flies that are starting to come are blown away.  The gel is also keeping flies off of it!

The First Western Dressage Group Lesson

Last Friday evening was the first Western Dressage group lesson. There were only 3 of us, Sandy, Virginia and me. This was actually an extra group lesson, as most of the riders will come this Friday.

We had a great time, learning to keep the horse traveling correctly in the bend of the circle. We parctice "threading the needle" exercise, moving along the rail, riding a circle, going straight, then doing a half circle, riding the rail the opposite direction, doing a circle, etc.

The horses were responding, giving at the jaw, stretching down into the bit, strengthening the neck, learning to lean on the bit. The basics of dressage. Small steps.

I had an individual Dressage lesson last Tuesday with Shaggy, a few days before the group lesson.  My third dressage lesson ever and my first with Dara.  She is a wonderful, kind instructor who teaches in a coaching atmosphere.  She explains what to do clearly, she tells you the moment she sees a response in the horse, and when something is confusing, she explains it another way.  She shows exercises that will help a horse to build up his topline.

"Relaxed Tension" was one way for her to explain how much contact needs to stay on the reins.  I hold with contact, and that is where the change in me is starting.  I hold with a give and take with following hands and elbows.  Dara is teaching that at first, really give so the horse feels no contact when the horse gives.  Yet, there needs to be tension on the reins at other times so the horse knows to go into the bit and search for the bit, not quite leaning on it but feeling it.  So much a fine line to teach the horse where to go and to teach the rider how much or how little to hold.  I will try to explain this more as I learn the steps.  Letting totally go when the horse gives, to maintaining some contact, to eventually have the horse carry the bit.

For now, Shaggy is a fast learning.  We worked on keeping the bend in the circle, leg yielding out, then circling.  He picked up on this and stays in the bend.  Then we worked on having a slight bend, while traveling straight, and asking for a leg yield out. This is a little more difficult for him to give the ever so slight bend and maintain traveling straight. He would start to travel at a faster trot, and I would half halt, with my inside thigh and my seat, and bring him down to a slower trot.  Other times, we would come down to a walk or a halt when he becomes anxious and wants to travel faster. We will work on this a little each day.

Shaggy worked hard on Friday.  I didn't think we were working too hard, and it wasn't even an hour, when he decided he was done.  He showed a little frustration, then decided to go faster into a canter to complete his exercise.  I slowed him down to a walk, left him relax, and we completed one more exercise, then we were down.  I wanted to get him back to a working, relaxed mind, do a simple job, then walk off relaxed to tell him he was done.

He settled down and hung his neck out on a very relaxed long rein.  We ended the moment on a good note.

This Friday is another group lesson and I'll have more to share!

Dressage Lesson

I had my first dressage lesson yesterday.   After taking Monday off, and feeling jet lag most of that day after the Horse Fair, I was ready to ride.  It had been 6 days since I rode Shaggy, with all the time to set up and tear down the vendor booth, then unpack at home.

This was my first dressage lesson with Dara.  I have had only 2 previous dressage lessons, and that was early last fall.  I told Dara I was a blank slate.

I ride the trails and ride in competitive trail rides.  Dressage is about training and correct movement.

We worked on Shaggy softening in the jaw.  We worked on bending correctly while walking and trotting a circle.  We worked on leg yielding out before transitions.  And we worked on positive pressure. 

Shaggy needs to learn to lean into the bit without leaning on me.  That's a fine line between too heavy and not enough pressure.  I'm learning the language and more will come with each lesson.

I have a group dressage lesson Friday and hope to be able to clarify this info!

Looking Through an Opening

Yesterday's photo challenge at Sunday Still's is "Through an Opening".  For this challenge, we were to find an opening (a window, knothole, fence…) and use it to frame something on the other side.

Hubby gave me this idea of looking through a tire. 

I just love this pic I took of Shaggy as I looked through a hole of the wheel.

Click here to see my other Sunday Still's "Through an Opening" photos on my Pictures by Brenda blog.

Click here to see more Sundays Still's "Through an Opening" photos.

So cold that...

I bundled up and rode today! I thought the wind wasn't bad, until I walked
outside. I put on layers, 2 socks, 2 gloves, 2 headbands, 1 hoody over my head,
winter boots, fleece lined pants, 5 sweatshirts and jackets. I was almost too
warm. I had a fleece lined head band over my head and down over my neck. I
rode 6 miles in an hour. We didn't stand still, but walked in so Shaggy wasn't
sweaty. It actually wasn't too bad.

I'm not sure how many days I'll ride if it gets below 20 though!

Great Ride with a Friend

           Tuesday was a beautiful day out.  Today was sunny, no wind, with a high in the 60’s.  I posted on Facebook that today was going to be a great day to ride.  I had a friend who texted me back and wanted to meet to ride.  But I still had racks and boxes, from the store, in the horse trailer. I told her that I would be riding the fields around my home and I would love to have her ride with me.  It gets lonely riding alone!

            She came by noon, we were saddled and in the fields by 12:20!  We rode 11 miles in 3 hours, with the time flying by.  Within the first hour, we kicked out a herd of 5 deer, than about ½ mile away and across a road, we kicked out 12 more!  Then about a ½ hour later, we saw 2 deer that seemed to be struggling to get through brush, and we wondered if they had been injured during hunting season.  We also saw some hawks.  Hawks do seem to be plentiful this year.

            Normally, I trot a lot.  But I knew Shaggy wasn’t conditioned and would not last, for over 10 miles that we had planned, if I did too much trotting.  3 hours of walking and some trotting was just fine.  We traveled around the fields, and we visited. It was nice to get to know someone, who I have known for years, better.

            I did some extended trotting and some loping circles while Cindy walked or trotted on.  We rode some areas that I haven’t ridden before, exploring some new fields while we had the time.

            We had a wonderful time.  Chatting like old friends.  Topics moved easily from one to another.  And before we knew it, we had only 20 minutes left to our ride.  I decided to go the long way, and get one more ½ mile of trotting in then finishing our ride in an easy walk back to the barn.

            By the time we arrived back to the trailers, the horses were cooled down.  I put Shag back into his lot and Cindy un-tacked and left.  I got a cup of coffee and a snack, than unpacked some boxes from the horse trailer.  I didn’t want some books and clothes to draw damp over the next 2 wintery months.  After that, I still had time to ride Duke, and took him to the field for an hour.  I didn’t lunge him first, and it showed.  It’s amazing what 5 or 10 minutes on a lunge line will do for the attitude of a recently gelded stud.

            I finished my day with riding while the sun was setting.  What a beautifully orange sky, spreading horizontally across the prairie landscape.  The sun was bright until it set low enough that I could just watch the sky.  I had that setting the whole time I was riding Duke. 

            This was a wonderful way to end a wonderful day.  I wonder how many more of these days we will have until spring.

Relaxed Shoulders and Thighs While Riding

            Yesterday while riding, I was able to have very relaxed shoulders.  Normally, I think I ride relaxed, but when I think about it, in the past my shoulders used to be up or tight or tense.  Without me even realizing it, I rode with tension in the neck and shoulders.  Many of us ride like that.  I thought I rode relaxed until the Centered Riding and Alexander Technique instructors taught me to drop my shoulders.  When I rode Shaggy in the field, my shoulders were down.  My arms were moving freer.  Even when I trotted and post, my shoulders stayed down.  It was a great feeling to think about it while I was riding and to realize that my shoulders were relaxed.

            Another Centered Riding tip that I was visualizing was that of Stubby Legs.  This concept is a little harder for me to analyze and figure out.  It became one that I could understand as I rode yesterday, and I felt what my legs were doing. Granted, my 2 horses are a little heavy, making their barrels a little rounder.  My thighs did lay on the sides of the horse easier.  While maintaining a grounded feeling in my feet, I rode with light contact with my thighs, allowing my thighs to move with the motion of the horse.  In the past, I think I stayed grounded in my seat, and my legs hung relaxed, but were not active.  Now, I’m maintaining a light contact, and not only moving my seat and hands as the horse moves (at the walk and canter, only elbows at the trot), my thighs are moving with the horse’s motion.  And I’m feeling it today, after 2 very active riding days.

           I had just read an article in the Centered Riding Newsletter before going out to ride.  “When Sally Swift taught us the Following Seat, she also talked about the Following Hand.  We should allow the reins to draw our hands forward. Our elbows straighten and bend to maintain consistent contact on the reins.  A rider’s hands stay with the horse’s mouth.  At the canter, the hands and seat follow the horse’s head and body forward during the 3 beats as the horse’s legs move and land again.  The rider’s hip joints open and the elbows open.  The both bend again during the suspension phase.  The Following Hand is actually the following elbow!!!”

            This is one of those “light bulb moments”.  Even though I knew this, I finally “got it” yesterday while riding Duke.  He does not like a unforgiving grip on the reins.  He does not want to be “held” in a frame.  He was all over the place, high and low, with his neck and head, searching for that place of comfort. I know that.  And with this article in my head, something finally clicked. I don’t have very much formal dressage training, just traditional horsemanship training where you don’t move.  Now, over the last 2 ½ years, I have freed up my body to allow the joints to move.  Finding correct posture and balance and letting go of tension that first year helped.  Learning to allow my shoulders to move last year helped.  But all the key pieces fell into place as I rode Duke yesterday.

            Duke has only been ridden a few times in the last few years.  He was my farm stud and after his first 4 years of training and the show pen, he has sat for the last 10 years with minimal rides.  All the training is still there.  Yesterday he told me he needs a lighter hold.  Yesterday, I finally understood exactly what that was and gave it to him. Like my 3 year old grandson says while watching on of his movies, Incredibles, Lightttttt Bulbbbbb.

            That light bulb was shining brighter as I kept a light constant contact on the reins, moving my arms, allowing the elbow to have more action.  The difference is subtle, as I was already following the walk and canter with my hands. The impact was huge, as I allowed the elbows to do the following, and my hands were just there. No tension in my body.  Duke settled down and quit searching for that spot.  I need more practice during his huge, deep canter, but what a difference.

            I also realize now why the CR instructors say I lean back at the lope.  (and like everyone, I thought I was correct until shown the correct way.  I felt like I was leaning forward when I am balanced.  After 2 years, that feels correct now).  But during Duke’s canter, his momentum kept throwing me back! I was leaning back. I was behind his motion, and I need to correct myself.  I went back down to the extended trot and 2 pointed. Then I cantered, keeping that forward feeling in my body.  The balance is better.  Wow, 2^nd light bulb moment was to understand why I learned to do something the way I used to be doing it.  My body had responded to the horse’s motion.  What my body responded to was momentum, but then I didn’t re-correct myself and go back to balance. I learned to ride there, thinking it was correct.  Now, I know where balance is, and I need to remember to keep balancing myself as I ride his deep canter. 

            What a fun guy Duke is to ride.  Wow, I can’t wait to take dressage lessons and ride in my next CR clinic with him.  We are on our way of understanding and learning the next layer of riding skills.

I will talk more about Duke soon, I promise.  His story is coming.  Part of it… he will be 15 this year!

Shaggy's 1st Ride of the Season

Shaggy, Wed, Jan 5th. 60 degrees!

Temps were in the low 60’s, I think.

What a great first ride of the season!

            I know I was going to talk about Duke today, but I didn’t get any riding photos of him, so I’ll do him tomorrow.  But I did get photos of Shaggy at the trailer.  I took a few field shots.  Even though everything is so brown, it was nice to be out. It really did feel like a spring day.  It was very warm here in NE for January, with almost no wind. I was down to a long sleeve T and a hoody, and was almost too warm.  My fleece lined jeans didn’t help, but I’m not wearing those today.

            I groomed Shaggy, saddled, moved him around a few minutes to breathe so I could tighten the girth and got on.  We went right to the field.  With being so busy at the store, and no ride time since maybe late Oct/early Nov, he was a good boy.  He put on some weight though, and it made me appreciate the feeling of “draping your leg” around the horse, as it’s so much easier to do on a fat horse!

            We went to the fields.  He wanted to trot so I left him. He was ears perked and going.  I rode in 2 point most of his trotting. In a few harvested bean fields, I asked for slower speed to work on posting, thinking of my Center floating up and out, lightly and easily. He makes posting easy, with his long, deep strides.  His momentum pushes you out of the saddle effortlessly.

I did work on a few things for a very short time.  I realized, while trotting down the rows of a harvested corn field, that the corn stubble helps to keep the horse straight. If he doesn’t stay straight, then he’s catching himself on stubble.  Shag has a natural straight way of going, so it is easy to work him on a straight away. 

            In the bean fields, you can see the rows, but there is none of the stubble restrictions or hazards, so traveling through these fields, the rider needs to stay more active.  Then I thought that the same feeling should be true for the corn stubble field. Stay active and stay straight.  Shag did pretty well staying light and straight at the trot through the beans.

            Then we were in an open bean field, and the rows weren’t quite so defined.  We were also trotting parallel to a tree line. Shag was a little focused on the tree line and birds fluttering around in there then going straight.  Now I was more involved, posting with my Center and being light, but concentrating on his head and shoulders staying straight while maintaining light contact with elbows bending as I posted.  We were in work mode for that field.  His trot needs to be a little slower and we need work on the extension, and that will come.

            The rest of the ride was just a “let’s just ride” mode.  Trot, loped some, and walked when he got winded or starting to sweat. I did canter one short grassy area and was a little over 19 mph.  A little while later, on top of a grassy hill, I left him run another short distance, and I think we were at 22 or 23 mph.

 I’m having a hard time getting my Garmin to download on Garmin Connect, as I have other rides that weren’t downloaded previously, and it is taking forever to load.  I tried to download just that ride, but for some reason, can’t find how to select just that 1 ride. The program wants me to select all of the past rides that haven’t been downloaded.  I’m going to delete everything out of the GPS and start over.  I’ll try to ride the same way today and post what I get.  I know I rode him for 6.1 miles in 1 hour 20 min.

          

  I rode Duke after and I’ll post about his ride and todays ride next.

            Have a great ride and I hope the sun is shining for you, too!

Centered Riding Clinic Day 3 Group Lesson

By Sunday, the third day of the Centered Riding Clinic, we were reviewing everything, and adding a few more exercises to reinforce what we knew. We worked on Balance, dropping our Center, and lifting up our shoulders.

Something felt different as I dropped my “alligator” tail into the seat. The Following Seat motion seemed to glide. It was a different feeling than ever before, and very smooth.

As we warmed up the horses, I thought about the large X across our front. As I posted, I reminded myself to move up from the hip, through the Center, to the opposite shoulder. As I turned to the right, I made sure to turn with my shoulders more.

I practiced lifting my rib cage and side as I turned, and really stretched up through my sides. I could feel the muscles on each side of my body, between the ribs, as I alternately stretched my sides.  Today’s exercise was all about spiraling our horses down into a circle, then spiraling back out. As we walked the circles, we were to keep our shoulders up and turning with our bodies.

X(1)

X(4) X(2)

X(3)

4 cones were set out in a diamond pattern, and we were to walk a circle on the outside of the cones, then walk to the inside of the cones. Then we slowly walked in a spiral pattern to the center of the circle. We then spiraled out at a walk and once we were to the outside of the cones, we were to turn a 90 degree at cone ,X(1) toward the center of the circle, and walk a straight line from cone 1 to cone 3 and back to line.

We repeated this exercise at a trot. Then we repeated the exercise, but once we spiraled out, we reversed, turning a 180 degree away from the Center, and added a lope departure. The horses were on contact with the bit, as we were spiraling with our Center and shoulders, but still giving some direction with the reins. The lope departure came easier than from the walk or trot.

Each group worked differently, depending on what they needed as riders, and what their horses needed. Some exercises were the same, some were different, and some were a variation of the exercises that other groups had done.

Centered Riding Clinic Day 1 Group Lesson

I started off the lesson with leg work. When the legs are relaxed, the pelvis is in position, and the lower back is able to sink down into alignment. The seat becomes deeper and more secure. This is a wonderful feeling.

To ground the outside foot, we did an exercise that isn’t a Centered Riding exercise. We lifted our arms out to the side and did windmills. Turning from the waist, we stretched one arm out front and the other towards the tail, and slowly looked at the tail. Then we changed the arms, bringing the arm that was towards the tail, back towards the head of the horse, and the other arm towards the tail. We looked towards the tail from the other direction, slowly. This helps to stretch out the back and engage the hip joint.

We walked using our “Following Seat”. We worked on spinning our Center, backwards and faster, to move our horses into a longer, freer stride. We added the trot and posted, using only our Center to post. On the corners, we did the “Barber Pole”. We worked on the wrong diagonal and spiraled our posting upwards as we rounded the corners, as well as grounded our outside foot. We squeezed the outside leg as we were sitting, doing this since we were in the wrong diagonal. On the correct diagonal, we maintained the grounded outside foot.

We practiced an exercise to get the correct bend in our horses. 2 cones are in each corner, set at an angle to the corner and far enough away from the corner, so the horse can travel between the 2 cones or on the outside of the cones (between the cones and the arena wall). As you near the corners of the short end of the arena, ride your horse between the first set of cones on a slight bend, then ride your horse on the outside of the 2nd set of cones, asking for a bend to the inside while pushing or keeping the horse to the outside of the cones with your leg.

You may also add some outside rein to help move the horse over, as long as the horse has a bend in his/her body to the inside. Don't pull so much on the outside rein that the horse will look outside, as that will give an incorrect bend and cause the horse to drop the shoulder to the inside. Actually, when you do this, the horse will be in a very slight bend. and the horse will start to frame up. On the straight rail of the long sides of the arena, let go of the horse a little and let him stretch out.

At one point, Carol, the Instructor, told me to not turn with my shoulders so much. This is a habit from looking too far in advance where I am going. I need to look only a little past the corner, so that I don’t have too much turn in my body.

We worked on freeing up the horses and moving them out. I hope Shaggy is ready to move out today. His trot is great. His walk is sluggish, and I need to be able to transfer the energy from my center into his freer walk.

More later tonight after today’s clinic lesson! Have a great day!