Sunny lesson
Clover's clipped neck and shoulder have already grown back in. I'll have to ask Jen to clip her again, and dig out the cooler now that it'll be getting colder. It was in the 60s and sunny on Saturday, though, a glorious day to be outside. The flies thought so too, unfortunately.
Much better lesson than the last one a week and a half ago, when I mentally melted down about my inability to get Clover warmed up without a ton of resistance. Since then I've been a bit firmer about asking for more response to the aids, and maintaining a steady contact from the get go, and then asking for long and low, rather than trying to warm up with a loose rein and getting resistance when asking for more throughness.
We were able to show Kat the things we've been working on: refining the aids, asking for more connection through the bit, transitions, more finesse in the half halts. We warmed up with a couple leg yields from the rail to the center of the ring, which Kat said is harder than going the other way, as the rail kind of works like a magnet as it's a natural boundary.
Once we were warmed up we did some trot work on the circle, honing the walk-trot transitions both up and down, and even some canter work on the circle. Finally! It wasn't beautiful, but it's something to build off of now as we do more ring work through the winter. I need to work on keeping my head up, being more firm in my core, and swing more in my hips in the canter.
We finished up and walked down the fence line. Clover looked across the field skeptically to the far tree line a couple of times--last weekend she had a big, spinning spook and nearly had me off her back when a neighbor with shouty kids dumped a huge pile of leaves and startled Clover.
Much better lesson than the last one a week and a half ago, when I mentally melted down about my inability to get Clover warmed up without a ton of resistance. Since then I've been a bit firmer about asking for more response to the aids, and maintaining a steady contact from the get go, and then asking for long and low, rather than trying to warm up with a loose rein and getting resistance when asking for more throughness.
We were able to show Kat the things we've been working on: refining the aids, asking for more connection through the bit, transitions, more finesse in the half halts. We warmed up with a couple leg yields from the rail to the center of the ring, which Kat said is harder than going the other way, as the rail kind of works like a magnet as it's a natural boundary.
Once we were warmed up we did some trot work on the circle, honing the walk-trot transitions both up and down, and even some canter work on the circle. Finally! It wasn't beautiful, but it's something to build off of now as we do more ring work through the winter. I need to work on keeping my head up, being more firm in my core, and swing more in my hips in the canter.
We finished up and walked down the fence line. Clover looked across the field skeptically to the far tree line a couple of times--last weekend she had a big, spinning spook and nearly had me off her back when a neighbor with shouty kids dumped a huge pile of leaves and startled Clover.
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