Yet another boiling hot day but cool enough this morning for play in the arena. B had her LBE head on. Snaky head, stopping on the circle and generally being snotty! I laugh when she is like this. It is fun as long as I can channel that energy and not have her get emotional. My persistance and calm paid off with a few laps of controlled canter on circle game, falling leaf in trot, sideways and great weave. She wasn't quite calm enough to ride when we left the arena so I took a long time to saddle up which gave her a lot of time to rest and think.
Sandra and Bert led the way. Leaving the yard was great again and both horses got stuck into eating for a long time. Breeze was very relaxed until we got about half way round when she needed to move her feet. I seem to have really nailed trot now and so has B. We were happily trotting side by side when both horses spotted two people up ahead on the mile and 1/4 and all of a sudden they screeched to a halt leaving really long skid marks behind us! Must be what a sliding stop feels like? Very funny and left Sandra and I giggling. We walked on, then trotted past the people and I could feel B was really up for moving. Up ahead Bert went into canter. B couldn't choose between trot or canter without squishing Bert, the horses were almost shoulder to shoulder and Bert wasn't happy about it. B's trot is as fast as his canter and Sandra was struggling to keep Bert calm so we squeezed past Bert and were off!
My god B can move!!! I love that all I have to do is think energy and B responds. Must be one of the many advantages of an extroverted horse. She just piles on the power which feels a lot like when I ride my motorcycle! This is, even after a whole year, a very new experience for me. Especially to have it not accompanied by that hated sensation, fear! But I am still rubbish at canter and can't yet quite manage to relax enough to admire the scenery whizzing past. Instead I have to really work on making myself relax, sit up and back, feel B's rhythm, try not to lift my feet out of the stirrups and leave the reins long! Phew!
Today I got the sitting up and back, relaxed enough to almost see where we were going. B spooked and I almost lost a stirrup but she carried on again and I regained my balance and realised I wasn't going to fall off. I was really trying to remember to breathe while feeling the power of her underneath me. Wow, what a sensation! Exhilarating and kind of scary all in one. All too soon I noticed we were nearing the last bend and that I had shortened the reins tsk, tsk. That's the next thing for me to work on. I have managed a totally casual rein in trot so canter will happen too soon I reckon. Anyway, the bend was looming up so in my head and body (I guess lol) I just 'quit riding' and B slowed to a trot then walk and we turned the corner for the last bit home.
I remember two golfers looking up in surprise at us as we turned the corner, Sandra and I a little out of breath with the excitement. They must have heard us thundering along the bridle path and then jabbering to each other, recounting our experience.
B hasn't been confident to lead much lately but now she was on a roll and we walked/trotted along in front to cool down before reaching the exit. Crossing the road was great again despite a pub car park full of cars and people.
I didn't spend too much time sitting on B after that. I had to get off and find a few treats, then hose her back off as it was a little sweaty. I think she enjoys how we go to the shed, take her saddle off there and stuff her with carrot. I like to chill out with her after she has carried me for those 4 or 5 miles round the woods. We hung out in her stable for a while then she got stuck in to her hay and I could leave. It was only then I realised it was 3pm! Where does the day go?
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