we found love (in a hopelessly dusty arena)

We got to ride!!!! Finally!!! The stars aligned and B and I managed to haul our ponies over to FV for a little fun. Which meant, of course, that Isabel got to wear her new Ambitious Equestrian bridle charm for the first time:

Isabel's Charm

(see what I did there?)

This was my first time seeing it actually on her face and I couldn't be happier! Don't forget to enter FCE's first contest to win one of the charms below for yourself!! Entering couldn't be easier - just comment on that post saying which charm you prefer (or list multiples to be entered in multiple drawings). 

contest charms, from left to right:

green gem & swarovski, blue bead & flower, golden angel wings

Anyways, it was so nice to get out. My truck looked so sad all snowed in - it wanted to be liberated! Fortunately even with highs back to the low 20s, Sunday's glorious 45* melted off quite a bit of snow and cleared the roads - so no concerns about getting stuck. I kinda laughed at myself about how similar the weather was to that time I whined about it being too cold to haul out... Funny how 2 months can change things.

The only bummer about the melt followed by below-freezing temps is that all the walkways are iced over now... But hey, that's what used stall shavings and manure is for right?? Our BM covered all the paths with this dirty concoction and it works perfectly to make everything nice and safe. Just not very nice to look at... 

not that I'd ever spare you from a picture tho lol

Back to the ride tho - I think the horses were happy to get out. Isabel was on FIRE! I really focused on trying to be tactful and not fight with her - while also coaxing her into some real work. This meant trying not to get her 'stuck' or feeling boxed in - I really wanted her to stretch and loosen up (esp after over a week off). 

We walked for a loonnng time and focused on rhythm rhythm rhythm, while trying for almost-shoulder-in down the long sides, serpentines, a few steps of leg yielding here and there, circles and changes of direction. Isabel understands all this - but tends to 'run' through it. So I really wanted her to keep exactly the same rhythm and stay relaxed. 

I also tried to focus on my own seat and upper body position, and think of 'pushing' my hands forward asking her to reach forward into the contact. Not entirely sure we were successful there - but we WERE successful at keeping a lid on it and not getting into any fights. And Isabel agreed to use all her energy and fire and power for good rather than evil. I'll take it! 

it was soooooo dusty

Our transitions (both up and down) still need a lot of work - but are maybe satisfactory about 50% of the time, a definite improvement. Right lead canter is still our same crappy right lead canter, but I really didn't push it in this ride - just asked seriously for a couple nice steps with correct bend and left it at that. Since that's where we're most likely to fight, I don't want to push it when our riding is so infrequent...

Then we hopped around the jumps for a little while - with everything set between about 18"-2'3" again. Isabel was CHARGING the warm up crossrails that we trotted, and I had to grab mane a few times to avoid getting super left behind...  But she cantered in really nicely to everything else, maintaining a steady rhythm and finding pretty good spots. We got deep to a few (as usual), but nothing super chippy and no real 'splat' moments. 

you can see where i brushed the dust off - i swear i groomed her!! 

I spent some time schooling single fences on the center line, turning different ways each time and trying for the lead. Isabel figured out how to land on her left lead when we started riding indoors consistently (I think the tighter space and turns helped there), and she's pretty handy now. Hopefully we can keep it up outdoors too! 

And she didn't look at anything today either - no 'impressed' leaps over the fences, and no stops. We did the same bending line from red gate to white gate that we did last time (when the red gate was 3' and then she stopped at the white gate twice in a row). The fences were both about 2'3" this time and she didn't look at either once. 

But we kinda botched the bend a few times in a row - getting 7.75 strides over and over again. If I had better instinct for the jumpers I would have sliced the red gate and rode it straighter in 7. But... instead I added more curve to fit the 8. Whatever, it worked and I was happy. And VERY happy with Isabel - she's pretty much my favorite :)

dusty smiley face lol