It's another new week

Here's the thing about keeping busy: time flies by. September is already at an end. Less than 3 more months on this schedule from hell.

My last handful of rides were almost too good to be true. I was waiting for a train wreck to happen at my lesson on Friday, but it turned out to be another great lesson. Let's just say that as far as riding goes, last week was awesome. Was it all just luck and coincidence? Well, I need to make myself actually believe that my rides are getting better because I'm becoming a better rider, and that with time and practice, there will be less and less "bad" rides, and more and more good ones.

Candy and I have worked out a well paced, collected, and evenly strided canter. Now that I've worked on my seat, I need to work more on my jumping position. Karly drilled my two-point on Friday, sending me and Candy over a low double oxer again and again, until the both of us really had to be done. And now that I'm able to control Candy's canter speed much better, I need to work out a balance: impulsion with collection, pace with forwardness. And oh, don't forget to release! Release before the jump, and more release over the jump. Start giving her the reins for the final 2 - 3 strides to the jump, and then just let her go. Give her her neck, give her the control of her own body to make the leap up and then down. I know I still need to work on loosening my elbows and relaxing my arms, allowing my hands to "flow" with Candy's movements as she canters, and not holding my arms frigid to lead to stiffness on her mouth, so that Candy can freely "bounce" her head and neck as needed with her strides. Spongy elbows, soft on the reins, gentle on the bit. I must practice the half halt more, too. Charlotte Dujardin has emphasized the importance of a hot horse needing to learn how to ridden with the legs on. Now that I'm getting to know Candy more and more, I also know what I definitely shouldn't let her get away with. It's a give and take. She gets what she needs from me, and I'm asking the same of her. I'm working my seat for her canter, but I also need to sit the canter how I need to, with my legs where they need to be, and keep myself steady and secure in the saddle.

Also, no looking down while turning! No leaning to the inside of the turn, no shifting the weight forward toward the turn, sit back and twist the upper body with the horse into and out of the turn! I know, a lot to remember, a lot to keep repeating to myself, a lot to keep in mind at all times, until they can all click together and become as natural as breathing. Yep, it's a lot of work, in case you didn't know this already. 

Listen to your horse. I don't think any trainer can say this enough times. Pay attention to what your horse is telling you, try and understand why it does what it does, try and figure out what you're doing that it's reacting to. Under normal circumstances, a horse doesn't just "act up" for no reason. 99% of what they do are not out of spite and carry no malicious intents. Chances are, they're doing something a certain way because it's something that they feel like they have to do in order to compensate for something that their rider is doing that's making things hard for them. As your horse's rider, your job is to let your horse do its job, and your goal is to make your horse's job as easy for your horse as possible. Try doing less, when doing more isn't working!