Back In the Saddle

     On Sunday Mort got to be ridden under saddle for the first time in about 2.5 weeks!  Right after that I dropped off my saddle with a local repair-woman to get my billets replaced.  He was understandably a bit rusty with the ‘regular’ work that we tried to accomplish on Sunday, just a bit behind my leg and more reactive to my adjusting him than what he had been doing before.  I was just happy that we got to canter again. 

     I also fully admit that I am not as good of a rider when it’s cold outside.  With so many layers and my muscles being cold and/or numb I know that I am definitely not riding as effectively—it was 15 degrees when I got to the barn Sunday so it was for sure cold.  Mort’s slobber that drips down onto his front legs/chest froze after we stopped working.  I think the future really cold rides may have more focus on stretch, bend, straightness, and being really through himself more than technical work and lateral movements (since I’m a potato up on top of him).   

  

     Yesterday I brought out my cross country saddle and decided to just ride a bunch of canter transitions.  I don’t feel as effective in my seat and I know my sitting trot isn’t correct with that saddle so I didn’t want to spend a lot of time on lateral work beyond simply moving off of my leg.  We had a drastic rise in temperatures that led to it being in the forties and very windy.  Mort was full of himself but I am not the type of person to fault that (I like the thoroughbreds after all).  He was a little spooky at the beginning of our ride so our warm-up included a lot of ‘distracting’ arena figures and changes of direction to get him to focus on me.  After we accomplished that I went straight into the canter transitions.  There was sass, but it doesn’t last as long as it used to.  His prompt transitions are so much better than when he tries to trot faster and scoot into it.  I need to remember that and make sure I don’t accept a few trot steps after I ask. 

     I think my immediate goals for canter are different for each lead.  His right lead canter is really coming along as far as listening and me having control of his outside shoulder.  I want to start actually play with it—lengthen and shorten, teeny counter canter loops, square turns, etc.  Essentially I can really start to develop the actual canter.  The left lead is a lot harder for us.  He wants to land so hard on that inside shoulder that controlling the shoulders is my main goal.  I let him be somewhat on his forehand as long as he’s moving off of my leg and maintaining proper bend while not leaning on that shoulder (and also avoiding just falling out on the other shoulder).  If that seems like a lot to keep track of it’s because dressage is probably easy, right? 

     My plan tonight is to try to get him out in the hay field for a break from inside.  It’s warm, but also very windy so I’m sure he’s going to be feeling good and full of himself.  I want to see if I can play more with his lengthenings in the larger space—and getting him back of course.