When the fog lifts...

 Well, we have made it to March. The days are significantly longer and up to this week, they were drier! The floods all went down and the rivers are at a normal height, aka you can see their outline. I feel like the fog of winter and my ever lasting cold has finally lifted. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I can plan and think easier. I'm still drowning in assignments, but I'm slightly more optimistic!

Although, I'm still only riding at weekends, I'm much more positive about it. I've been working on my aids a bit more with both horses, trying to use less leg to get them to listen to the leg I do use. I realise that this is what most equestrians do aim for, but I only truthfully started because my leg muscles were tight and it was harder to use my actual legs!! Even though I wasn't doing it for the 'right' reasons it's still been very beneficial. The boys are getting used to my voice as an aid more so - side note I never understand why they don't let you use your voice in dressage!! It's a natural aid?!?!

Herding

I was aiming to finish off my SJI membership in the local league, but unfortunately it was announced that amateurs could not participate in competitions. Needless to say I was majorly disappointed by this announcement. I do understand the reasoning, but when you've been looking forward to something that will break up the monotony of life in lockdown, it's understandable that you would be disappointed. But I decided that I needed to do something myself to break up the monotony so I organised a jumping lesson for myself and Cu Chulainn. 

I found my gold.....

We seemed to have started off where we started last year in many ways, control between fences being an issue, a constant argument between the two of us. It took a while to get it in to my thick skull what I needed to do. I need to chill, let him do his thing and just support at the fence. Essentially, do nothing. Hah. Well, let me tell you, as someone who does too much all the time this does not come easy. It was getting more and more obvious exactly how much I was doing, because I kept thinking I was doing 'nothing' but was either rushing him in the last few strides, holding him for too long (or strangling as Seamus calls it!) or not relaxing my hands. 

He has to put up with a lot........

Riding towards the fence doing nothing was incredibly hard. Even though he's never given me reason to believe he won't do it, I know that I've always needed him rushing to the fence to believe he will. It's all me. That ain't news though.... Every time I successfully managed to ride it properly he came at a lovely steady rhythm and boy could he clear it! He put me in the clouds a few times. He felt AAAAmazing. At one stage we did a related distance of 5 strides. He did it beautifully!! I wish it was on video. It felt so good. Then Seamus told me to come and do it in 6. Right, bellybutton in, sit up straight and do nothing. We did not get the 6. He got 5 again! Although we managed to come even steadier he actually covered more grounds in his strides!! 

In the orchard

Now it wasn't all plain sailing. It was back and forth. Good and bad, or just ok. When we went well it felt so great. The bad wasn't terrible, he never hit a pole or anything, but it was rushed. I was just getting frustrated for myself. The lesson was an example of what I'm aiming for this year, and that is consistency.

The Zoo

When I rode the next day, I tried to put in to practice what we learned in the lesson. I did lots of transitions and got him listening to me. But to be honest, he was doing that anyway with flatwork. It's when I see a pole that it all goes a bit haywire. So the day after, we practices with jumps. It was definitely better than our last time by ourselves, but a work in progress none the less.

Naked in the orchard

Not forgetting about Sir Fred! He is feeling great. I rode him bareback because his saddle was still in the jeep and I was too lazy to get it. We just did some walk and trot, but it was great. He was far more off my aids and I felt my aids were better. I think I was inspired by watching Abi Lyle and Carl Hedin riding bareback. So the next time out I rode him bareback again, but this time we added a bit of canter. A challenge for me, not so much him! I DEFINITELY need work in my canter work, with a saddle and without. It's amazing how much you rely on your stirrups. 

No pain no gain!!

The fact that I can ride Fred bareback is I think due to a new supplement I've started giving him which has helped him chill the beak a bit. Not long ago he would have been spooking at various things, especially because it was a windy day when I was riding. 

    

Sunsets with Fred

I have started to long rein them too. Just to break up their education and to reinforce my voice aid. It's nice for them to exercise without someone on top of them. The long reining is easy to do at home also because I can just use the lane. 

Long reining

I have a lesson set up for next week, so here's hoping the work we're putting in is coming to something!

PS this was all written with a certain big cat lying across my arm!!