Riding Again

Since we had some torrential rain Monday and Tuesday (especially Monday), went over yesterday to ride instead.  Then discovered that the farrier and the chiropractor had been out and therefore nearly all the rideable horses on the place were in some degree of rest for the next few days.  However since my latest riding buddy wasn't there, I rode her horse Tanner, and we worked on flatwork and a bit of ground poles since the grass was still slippery and Tanner had a scraped-up hock that was making him a little bit sore.  

The better part of the half hour we spent actually riding was transitions--trot-canter, jog-canter, and (we tried anyway) walk-canter.  I came awfully close to getting a walk-canter transition a couple of times, but not quite.  Then after the transition is always interesting since Tanner likes to throw his head around and jerk on the reins and speed up like a wild thing once he gets going!  Haha at least he doesn't buck or really run off...and when I could finally get my position and leg corrected, he did better. 

I've let my leg (and upper body) slide/tip forward lately and even sometimes start gripping with my knees and taking my calves off.  Bad me, bad bad.  I'm going to try a new saddle next time, the one I rode in yesterday is far from comfortable and squinches me everywhere I should be touching something.  Ha.  But really it is mostly my fault and I need to focus on fixing it soon before I start causing more problems for my horses. 

A quick ride and then we took care of Tanner's leg and turned him back out.  And I leave you with this picture until next time... I officially love this picture!  I think I need to blow it up big and stick it somewhere I'll see it every day!

Tanner Ride

So rode Tanner again yesterday.  Western.  Decided to revisit my roots and see if I remember how to stay in a saddle that won't let me slip every which way. ;)  Well turns out I do, though for the life of me I still can't figure out how to get off gracefully with that crazy horn in the way! Ha. I'm told it went well, really I think it did.  He didn't jerk too often at canter, turned when I asked him to (for better or worse, we had some tight spots due to my asking too early/too much), and generally slowed when I asked him, though he never really does the true Western lope--he prefers to galumph around the arena at the highest speed you'll let him.  Which for me is not too horridly fast--I've been too long schooled in Western Pleasure for that!  Coach says he went well for me which is good. 

I (and the Coach) found a great deal lacking in my posture however so now I am focusing on torturing myself by insisting that I keep a decent sitting position, especially at work.  :)  That should help matters.  And my core strength...sigh...well I work on it and it is better, I have to keep reminding myself. 

On Friday the grandparents are coming!  And I have no clue what to do with them!  Haha.  They've asked to see Fringe so we will go out like usual and I'll ride her if I can find a fuzzy girth (or if the Coach is there and I can persuade her to let me steal one of her rope girths), or do groundwork if I can't.  Annnd after that I have no idea.  Rusty is closer in a smaller pasture now and has a catch halter, so I just may go out after him.  Maybe I'll get the new project pony if the grandparents head home early and I feel like a long walk.  Or perhaps if I'm feeling very brave I shall hop on one of the team horses that's apparently been bucking lately.  Ha, the Coach might well spank me if she found that out, though she hasn't explicitly told me not to ride him.  Maybe I won't do that.