mornings with Mondeuse

Guys, the green baby horse journey is just... so interesting sometimes haha. The wild vacillating between "Wow this young horse is so exciting!" and... "Dear god, what happened to our canter?!"

It's a process, y'all!

misty balmy december morning!

Well. Ok, let me back up a step. I wrote last week about how exciting and ground breaking our dressage lessons with MP have been (and more on that later!). 

But... I also mentioned that I've kinda been lulled into sorta cruising between lessons until the changes MP wants in my position and way of riding are more sticky 

i think doozy likes her pony friends!

Lately, tho, that's felt like not actually the right approach at all. For two main reasons: 

1) Doozy needs to get ridden regularly and often, full stop.

2) Actually, I do know how to ride the horse and have gotten her this far, so don't stop now!

back in the jomp ring!!

So I gave myself a little kick in the pants to keep up with my regular schooling rides even if I felt like I wasn't necessarily riding to the standard of our lessons. Just get on with it, ya know? The horse needs the mileage anyway!

lol ok so these trot poles were set at a slightly longer distance than what we've normally practiced...

This gut feeling was reinforced in Friday's evening solo school, in which I realized our canter had suddenly reverted, and lost that wonderful 'jumping' feeling I love so much. Bc duh, things get rusty if you don't practice! And we haven't touched the canter yet in lessons. 

god bless that effort tho!

So for Saturday's ride, I opted to switch gears entirely and pick up where we left off after the Frost clinic --- getting back outside again!! And maybe playing with little jompies!!

first jompy of the day omg <3

And ya know. Just trusting myself haha. Trusting that, yea ok I'm not perfect, but that's ok. Ride the horse, have fun, jump little jumps and don't think too deeply about any of it! 

guys i really think she likes this game

Plus we had an excellent chaperone, one of our farm's talented juniors and her trusty little lord of mischief, Loki. Doozy was pretty much instantly comfortable in this ring --- honestly I think it's just a good ring with good vibes. 

riding the way i know how to ride bc we're both comfortable that way

The geldings turned out in the adjoining field acted like ding dongs for a bit when Loki started cantering, which set Doozy off slightly... But she recovered and then was basically foot perfect. 

wheeeeeee cross rails!

We mostly trotted lots of figures at first, and only cantered small circles. I briefly wondered if all the little X's I'd set up earlier would prove to be too aspirational when Doozy was a tad wild through the trot poles -- which were set too long and she kept wanting to break to canter.

first time cantering a jump <3

But eventually she settled enough (or I rode properly) to trot the poles in a civilized manner, at which point I started aiming at the little crosses. 

her canter is supremely jumpable

And guys, you legit couldn't ask for anything better from her first little efforts. Just... *muah* chef's kiss! So after waiting patiently while Loki took his turns, we went out for another little go of stringing a couple little jumps together. 

little video clip of us dinking around having fun

We were probably going too fast at times, and I was probably riding too tight at times. And maybe there's more that I could have done our first time down the line to prepare her better --- tho honestly when we finished the course on the same little line and she *aced it*... Ya know, it felt like she understood and was on board with this whole little game.

very happy with this critter

If Frost was watching, he'd have said to ride straighter on the backside vs letting her fall into her turns. And he may have advised coming back to walk more often. I know for a fact if I'd been riding with Sally, she would NOT have approved of the little 'victory gallop' at the end LOL. 

and she is very cute

But ya know what? This was the best freakin ride and I'm so excited to be out doing fun horse things again -- and so excited for this silly red mare <3

Happy Monday, y'all and hope you had a nice weekend too!