Fleck and I went FLYING today!!

hee hee....

 

Doesn't it look like we're flying upside down!!!??? Fleck's so awesome, we did flips!! :)

We had a great dressage school... well, not great... I'll be honest. It was still hard for me!!! But we did have some very nice canters and I was much better about not closing my outside leg. But now I'm having issues with my leg yield to the left off the rail. It's soooo good to the right, but going left he totally over bends and gets behind my leg. We used to be so good at it. :( So... I must figure it out.

So anyways... we ended with some REALLY decent canter to walk to canters!!!!!! The "new" canter makes it so much easier for Flecky to sit on his haunches and do the downward transition. :)

So we went for a hack to cool off and ended up just heading down to the lake. Wow... what a gorgeous day.....

Mind.... blown.... kapow!

Ha ha... That was quite the mind boggling dressage lesson today. I think my brain worked harder that it has in awhile. It was tough.... 

We started out with some fairly decent trot work and then when I went to canter Cindy noted that my outside leg came back. I told her that I could feel Fleck falling in and his shoulder flinging out, so my "instinct" was to "catch" him with my outside leg. In effect, I was attempting to counter bend him or even renver him to straighten him back up and get those shoulders underneath him. However, I wasn't accomplishing that and ended up just pushing him farther over. So Cindy reiterated that I needed to ride him shoulder in, which I knew/know... and feel like I'm always trying to ride shoulder in... She also reiterated that I need to ride inside leg to outside rein. I know that too... I also know that her and Beth have both been telling me to straighten him by maintaining a connection on that outside rein. Yes, he has to elongate that side of his body to be able to turn, but he also has to connect it and collect it some. So yes.. I know these things.... And I thought I was doing them... and maybe I was to some effect, but... by closing my outside leg I was throwing him back to the inside and helping him fall in. My closed leg asks his haunches to come in. Short of reaching forward with my leg and kicking him in the neck... (ha ha!) outside leg on isn't going to get him to straighten. Okay.. yes, I know this.... and was a little embarassed that I wasn't getting it. So... then I realized I was doing it at the walk too. Egads!!! So I thought about almost taking my outside leg off. Cindy pointed out that that wasn't the correct answer either... but to allow my leg to drape on him. So... With the outside connection and the inside leg... and not closing my outside leg... He was able to do a shoulder in and go straight!!! Mostly... because I was also grabbing that inside rein for all it was worth. I didn't realize it.. and I sorta felt like it was too long... but it was making Fleck over bend at the neck... So I had to let go. Cindy wanted to prove to me... so she had me take my inside hand off the reins and put the reins in my outside hand only. Then put my inside hand on my head. Simple enough right?! You'd think, but... It took me two laps to figure it out. Jeesh... Once I took my hand off that inside rein, Fleck flung out to the outside and counter bent. So my dumb self countered by bringing my outside hand do the inside... thus effectively turning him farther out. Argh.. Finally Cindy managed to get me to do it right.. If I took my outside hand farther outside, then I was effectively creating a slight inside bend with the reins. Add in my seat and leg.. and WOW!!!! I had a lovely, upright, straight pony!!! Holy smokes!!  So then we went the other way and I got it a little easier. I think its easier for me to get a connection on that left rein. Who knows?! So then we went back to the left and... it still took some really hard conscious thinking on my part, but I managed to get it. And again.. what a lovely canter!! We got loft!!!

And then our trot was nice too! So yay.... brain boggling, but...  the pay off was worth it.

It's just silly... I'm not sure why I'm so...... bad at dressage!! I mean... I know what to do... people keep telling me what to do.. but my subconscious just does the opposite!! But I love Cindy.. she's so good at explaining and demonstrating the theory and physics behind it... and then.. once my brain understands it and it REALLY sinks in... I get it. And then it's easier to fight my body on it.

anyways.... will practice more tomorrow!

Sunny Fall Day

 So Fleck and I had a fun ride with Missy the other day. She wanted some pictures, so I decided... lets' just hop over a few for pics too. We warmed up over about 3 small fences and then jumped the 3'9" oxer... and got this shot :)

So as his reward, I let him have a sand bath! He enjoyed it I think!

Another good lesson

I really like it when my dressage lessons get scheduled back to back. Because of my work schedule I can't do every Tuesday, so... I tend to do two one week, then none the next week... When my two get back to back... it's oh so helpful! 

We started off so much better today than we used to. We got the big trot with long strides much quicker into the ride rather than me posting super fast and Fleck being quick and short. Yay for us! It was a good ride. We worked on keeping his hips underneath him by me keeping my hips and thighs going forward. Then with the trot lengthen... I could feel it building and just allowed it to happen. Much better than forcing it or chasing it :) I was able to just allow him to go bolder and bigger and... until he tripped... hee hee... it was lovely! We also had some great work in the canter. Cindy had me leg yield him away from the wall while cantering. Similar concept to counter flexing.... It sets him upright and makes him load that inside hind leg. Such a lovely canter we had after that :) 

I also need to work on my canter to walk transitions. Cindy wants me to do it without using my hands.. and I get that, but still can't figure out how to make it happen. However, If I think about changing the bend just a little... it helps. 

I also had an epiphany in the stretchy trot... He really tries to fling himself to the outside of the circle and.. without reins.. it's hard to keep him on the path I want. It's obvious that I hold him with the outside rein while we are much more connected, but... I was able to hold him with my outside leg and thigh while stretching.. it just took a LOT!! But... I can use that to my advantage while we aren't stretching and try to keep him in line with my leg and not just my hand. 

So yep... a good ride. I just need to remember to keep asking for that... all the time... every time.... :) 
 

Back to work!

So... back to work today :) No more shenanigans! Hee hee.... 

We had a Cindy lesson today and it was a good day. We worked on getting Fleck straight and keeping him through and soft but big. The key thing from today is to remember my hips!!! I think I was locking them in the show ring which was part of the problem. But Cindy pointed out today that Fleck is a wide boy.. and he likes to travel wide behind...sorta swinging side to side. And that encourages me to swing my hips side to side too. But.. if I focus on keeping my belt buckle in front and my hips moving forward and not sideways... he gets his legs up underneath himself and it gets him pushing from behind better. It really did help. :)
 
We also worked on the half pass... I must keep my hips moving during that too! But I also can't let him lead with his shoulders too much. Half halting him gets him balanced back on his hiney :) 

So.... now to just remember to swing my hips!!!

Getting our gallop on!

So today I had sort of a rotten morning.... just a bad fight with Mike. So... I felt the need for speed... I needed a good gallop for my heart and soul. And fleck said "SURE THING!!!". :) It was just what I needed!!

We went to Ashland and met Hannah and Grace Face. We started off with a nice trail ride and met up with Missy and Marty! It's so cute cause Fleck knows Zhar now and he's his little buddy. So we went on the trails and decided we would all canter up the hill. Fleck and I led and in the path was this little twig of a stick... but it was across our path. So I yelled back, JUMP, and... we jumped... And everyone followed suit. It was great. It was Marty's first jump and she did awesome. So then we took Marty and Missy home and Hannah and I continued on. We decided to do a little gallop in the field behind Halfshire and Fleck took off!!! He did not want Grace to win so he kicked it up a gear. He was flying!!!! So then we managed to slow them back down to a walk and walked/jigged back to the lake. Hee hee. They actually settled down quickly and we had a nice trail ride. Then Hannah wanted to jump XC so we went back in the field and had fun. They had a great school and Fleck was upset he was just standing around, so I let him have a few more gallops and then we hopped over the hanging log once or twice, then the ditch to trakenher once, and then we played on the "alle oop"!. It was the big rolltops on an arc with a bowl in the middle. So you jumped over the first roll top, went down the bowl, up out of the bowl to the second roll top. It was fun :)

Then we splashed through the water (for pictures!) and I guess it was cold on his belly cause as we came out, Fleck let out a little buck! Wheee!

Then we went to lake and soaked his knees for 20 minutes. Then we headed home. But it was a great day!!! Lots of fun and it made me happy that Fleck felt so good that I had to hold him back and reel him in!! We'll see how he feels tomorrow! But since we have two days of dressage, I figured a little rebellion today was justified :)

ahhhh.... ponies... so good for the soul!

Two blues in a row!!!

We are on a roll!! 

Today was the annual Hilltoppers Pony Club fundraiser show. I volunteered in the morning and then rode Fleck in the afternoon. He was great!

He warmed up nicely despite some antics. hee hee. I love frisky Fleck!! Beth had me do a canter pirouette to help sit him on his hiney and make him load that hind end, thus straightening and improving his canter. It wasn't a real "pirouette" but we were attempting it and by attempting it, we accomplished the goal of improving the canter. So then we went into the ring. I didn't ride very well. I'm not sure what happened but I just... didn't ride very well. He was sorta behind my leg at first.. then he got bolty... I'm not sure if I lost my connection, or just braced.. but it wasn't a very good test. We actually scored our second best score yet though. I think the judge was generous. Accurate, and all her comments were correct, but I think she was a point generous in most places. But for a schooling show, that's kinda nice. We ended up with a 34.8. I was pleased with him though as he did what I asked him to do and willingly. I just needed to ride better. BUT... we managed to not jig through the walk and upwards! We got inverted and resistant but at least we stayed at the walk. His haults were mostly square. Our downward transitions were a bit better. And one of his canter lengthens got us an 8!! with the comment "Bold!". 

Then we got to jump. It was a fun course. He was awesome and went clean! Even when we were coming to the one stride and another horse came out of the woods.... Fleck spooked sideways but kept coming to his fence. He's such a good boy!

It was just Sarah Beth and I in our division and Mick wasn't cooperating very well in dressage, so we won. But it's all in fun. If Mick had behaved himself we probably would have been second as she had a beautiful stadium round also. 

It was a good day :) I also scored a bareback pad for Fleck.. only I have to add some length to the strap for his big ol' barrel. hee hee..