"i see dead.... branches"

This post is a mishmash of two stories, one told through bullet points, and the other with pictures. Both are mostly unremarkable in and of themselves (like that's ever stopped me before), but perhaps paired together it becomes .... better?

Eh. Probably not. Let's just call it a subject matter dichotomy (bc fancy terminology fixes everything) and move on with it.

one must be dressed for success before hitting the trails. prerequisites include ridiculous tack that may or may not have a history of falling apart, and a mouthful of stolen hay.

Anyway. Bullet points reflect on takeaways from our recent lesson with trainer Dan. Photos and captions (and post title) are from yet another trail ride.

then it's off to the woods! 

And onto the lesson:

• Biggest focus was on the use and strength of my legs.
• Our whole picture needs longer legs (mine, not Isabel's). My stirrup length is fine, but my legs get too short - needed more stretch down through my calf, while keeping it ON the horse and under me, not pushed back.
• As always, we gotta slow the walk way down to really start the conversation with the horse about connection and coming through.
• The most extreme half halt is the 'walk at nearly halt' exercise - with horse remaining active. Dan noted that Isabel does actually have a half halt in there, he had it while he was riding - but I need to be stronger myself to put it to use.

wherein recent rainfall has brought down TONS of small clusters of leaves and branches that are all now scattered along the path

• I rode in the nathe for this lesson too - despite some initial skepticism from Dan. 
• Ultimately, tho, he said the fussiness in the contact could be in part due to the nathe, but probably that's just an excuse and it's mostly bc the horse is behind my leg. 
• I MUST improve my timing in adding leg when she fusses and softening the leg when she settles. 

isabel is surprisingly adept at hunting down these fallen branches. it might *look* like she's noshing on the living greenery here, but look closer and you'll see it's yet another clump of dead leaves

• At least I'm happy to report that my timing with softening/holding with the hands has improved - I feel really confident that I'm softening the reins at the right times (without giving away the contact)
• But too often, when she fusses, I go to the hands first instead of adding leg. 
• Needs more leg. always

she will actually grab the entire branch and carry it along with her, shaking it like a dog. it's... definitely weird haha

• Dan says that the greatest event riders (Phillip and Michael et al) are so great bc they use so much leg. 
• He claims that Phillip's working students can barely keep his horses trotting during conditioning sets bc of how much leg he uses. 
• And that the dressage principle of "leg OFF" unless you're doing something purposeful with it doesn't work for event horses - they need to accept the leg without leg introducing tension. 

and she's got quite the eye for them, presumably she's constantly scanning the horizon for more dead branches?!? i'm really not very clear on the attraction here?

• He wants to see my leg strength improve via riding sans stirrups. 
• Exercise: drop stirrups at collected walk, into collected trot (sitting), into collected canter. 
• Just ride that for a while. (when jumping, pick stirrups up once the collected canter is established then go on to approach the fence)
• I. Um. Almost fell off a lot trying to get that trot canter transition stirrupless. Oops.
• Canter to trot was atrocious stirrupless. Isabel would drop immediately into that fast hollow fully inverted jackhammer trot that is impossible to sit. #notpleasant #needswork

at least she's more or less best left to her own devices. no hands required. she's just busy picking up dead leaves. nbd. trail ride will continue momentarily - hopping from one island of dead branches to the next.

• Through all this, I MUST say 'forward' with my whole body - the seat must be encouraging forward, even as I half halt and collect. 
• The seat can't just sit there doing nothing; it can't be braced or holding tension either. It must move with and encourage the horse's back.
• And when I *did* pick up my stirrups to head to a jump, I was to maintain that same feeling of riding without them.

obviously with the occasional break for dramatic foresting lighting

• We started with canter poles (also no stirrups) - and I needed more outside rein to hold the stride together instead of getting fast and flat (flast?) 
• Then jumped a wide-ish ascending oxer on the quarter line off both leads (with the back rail rising every time we changed directions)
• First few times in each direction we repeatedly hit a gappy distance (not ideal). But I'm still happy to report that the mare rode forward to it and jumped well, and I did *not* ride backwards. Yay small victories! 
• We eventually got to a more appropriate out-of-stride distance tho, with a last half halt applied 5-6 strides from the fence. 

wait - those aren't dead branches! they're not even dead flowers, isabel, they're fake!

• The jumps actually felt really great, even when the distance wasn't perfect. I'm proud of myself for riding the long spot instead of pulling for the chip, even if Dan would prefer that neither happen. 
• So naturally I asked to be finished with that lol, But Dan said no (womp womp), and made us do a little more. Which predictably made me nervous about fucking it all up and pushing the envelope... but good little monkeys do what trainer says, right?

ahh, yes, of course, we stumbled upon the newly set up dressage court for last weekend's CT (that we did not ride in). fun times.

• So for a final exercise, he had us jump the same oxer (now square and raised a little more) off both leads on a figure 8 pattern purposefully slicing it at somewhat severe angles. 
• And said we could be done if we did it right, But if we didn't get it right, just keep going til we did. 
• Famous last words right? 

mare looks hungry still, tho. hungry for more branches i guess. who knew. is your horse into that kinda thing too?

• So how many tries did it take to get it right?
• ONE try. Boom. Good pony.