Ride two crossed off the training schedule

I promise I'll try not to make this blog all about the analytics. It's just interesting to have the technology to record and analyze riding efforts.



So, yeah, blah blah, started out with a warm up loop at the walk around the hay field. The bugs were pretty bad, so I trotted Clover for a couple of stretches, swung the fly whisk with one hand, and steered with my left. I practiced using soft rein aids as I steered with both reins in my left hand; it was a good exercise to remind myself how effective gentle rein aids can be when combined with the right seat and leg aids.

Headed up to the outdoor ring and did a light workout in all three gaits. Started out asking Clover to stretch out longer and lower at the walk and that type of work is improving. However, she's been showing some unevenness at the walk and trot when I ask her to come back up into the bridle, and I'm not sure if it's because she's a little tender footed (she's been barefoot since last fall) in the abrasive ring sand, or if she's super weak on the left hind and just needs to continue strengthening, or (god I hope not) she's getting a little arthritic and could use a more robust joint lubricating modality.

Or maybe she's just stiff and sore from living, like I've been getting, and just needs some time to warm up and work out of it.

So: longer long and low walk warm up next time.

Also need to keep working on refining the half-halts, so she doesn't slam to a stop when I use a stronger one to re-balance her. Stronger abs, more leg, less hand.