fine i'll do it myself

So I don't normally post meaningful ride recaps on Saturdays but.... Eh, sometimes ya gotta strike while the iron's hot, ya know? And... AND -- omg -- I actually have riding media from a low key solo schooling session. And since there is a direct correlation between my blogging schedule and my media content.... Well. Obvi I gotta write!!

welcome to a visual summary of yesterday's ride <3 

To be perfectly honest with y'all, I try really really hard not to whine or complain about whatever first world problems lie before me and my pony, unless I'm already 100% on the job of working toward a solution. 

Meaning, I try not to complain if there's something I could do to fix a situation. Stuff that's outside of my hands?? Yea, open season on that LOL, but otherwise... ya know... I try to live a life of self determination. 

just stepping my gigantic packer over random arena trash

This ongoing "Lesson Limbo" situation tho... Ugh. You've already heard me whine a lot about it, evn if you didn't consciously realize how extensively peppered into every post those references have become. 

And.... I'm actually not doing a whole lot to resolve it. Well, ok, that's a lie. I am doing a LOT of *thinking* on the subject. As in, 

"What does an ideal solution look like?"

"How willing am I to travel for regular coaching, and what's the relationship between distance + frequency?"

"Am I open to the idea of moving my horse as part of this solution --- and, if so --- geographically, what are the limits?? (esp considering I'm full time remote)"

can't for the life of me figure out why dressage judges keep saying "needs to be more round" when we go around like this 97% of the time....

The reality is.... There's an enormous sense of flux happening at Charlie's barn right now. It's a multi-generational farm, an iconic venue in the region, but like every single member of the family at each generation is kinda just... Ya know. Experiencing life and changes and whatnot. 

My own sorta selfish perspective focuses on the impact all that "flux" has on *me* and *my goals,* but... ya know. Even I'm not so egotistical as to think it actually has anything to do with me. Except the whole "self determination" thing --- If I want my horsey life to be a certain way, nobody is gonna care more than I do about making it happen. 

also can't for the life of me figure out why i post some of the pics i post. but here we go with yet another glorious glamour shot into the short two stride <3

So. We make it happen, yes? For ourselves. Because we wanna. Or, ahem, cough cough.... something like that?

Lol for real tho, Fall is here. Hurricane season is usually the turning point for Maryland in terms of "ground condition" -- when we finally get enough good soakings to well and properly soften the ground. Combined with sunny but less humid conditions, we basically arrive at "Perfect Charlie Weather."

i swear on my mother's china that this oxer is like a single baby's breath under 3', and charlie's kinda just lopin over it lol

Thus, I'm making it my business to capitalize on opportunities wherever they present themselves. Lately, that's looked a bit like scavenging on fun jump set-ups left behind by other riders. Like, when I see a peer actually setting up stuff to jump (vs the tiny stuff normally left behind by lessons). 

d'awww but look at him really try when i got him a smidge close at the next vertical, this one just a hair over 3'

None of the jumps have moved much in recent weeks (due in part to some of that "flux" I mentioned earlier), and there seem to be fewer and fewer functioning standards and poles each week too..... But. What's set up right now works for us. 

A couple verticals that can be ridden as singles, or in a line, or in bending lines, plus a short 2-stride and the short 1-stride I set up last week (now set to verticals instead of the big X's I did last week). 

let's try that again, but with conviction this time

And, props to myself, I pulled on my big girl pants and gave Charlie a good positive warm up to prepare us for an easy breezy schooling session. After our summer of zero lessons and lots of shows, Charlie's definitely gotten into the groove of warming up and then going straight into THE course. 

So, naturally, being the good boy that he is, he nailed our little mini course the first time around (after words about being too quiet at the first, ahem). And I legit intended to just finish with that. But.... Then a friend arrived at the ring, and I decided to do another trip and ask for video too. Thus -- the media!

better distance = a more casual charles lol

It was also interesting because obviously Charlie was moderately incredulous about having to repeat the same task after having already executed it well the first time. But, eh, life is like that sometimes, buddy!

link to quick video of our course here

But also obviously the second time we weren't quite as smooth. I really liked this little course tho, mostly bc of the two little combinations. Idk, I just love a good one stride grid for Charlie. He knows them so well, and they're so good for getting him up on his toes. 

yea i think i'll #KeepHim

I also love how "On It" Charlie was with his lead changes. Seriously, did you watch the video?! This good boy may be just loping around a basic course, but you can't tell me he isn't having the most fun! I'm not really sure how much more challenge this horse wants in his life, but I still feel like we have time to get better. So. Hopefully we'll get more ideas soon!

In the meantime, happy weekend!