the work

There have been a couple false starts over the last year with Doozy re: training programs. In particular, we've had to learn that, in the land of Dooz, relaxation must be the priority. No ifs, ands, or buts. 

cutie <3

Not every training methodology / trainer we've worked with has fit that bill, but interestingly.... There have been commonalities throughout every program all the same. 

she looks pleased with herself, no?

Almost without fail, each professional we've worked with has identified two key issues:

1) I need to be able to get my leg aids onto the horse, and 

2) The mare wants to lean onto her right shoulder. 

"will chase you down for cookies tho"

So ya know. None of that is new, right? But eh. Maybe it's time to address it lol. We've worked so hard in the last few months to get on the same page re: a standard ride package wherein relaxation is the priority, and we can work through all three gaits in a relatively pleasant and productive way. 

schweet mare

These last few days, tho, I changed the rules. From the moment we step away from the mounting block, my right leg is on. Which.... honestly, for Doozy, probably feels illegal.

amazing management --- freshly dragged ring AND a grass mower!! just normal things at this farm!

But it's been a fascinating little bit of homework for me, tho. By paying attention to keeping my leg on, I'm figuring out just how often..... my leg is off lol. And in what circumstances. 

speaking of mgmt, ignore the mess and peep my new trailer fans!

Like it's fairly easy to get the right posture (for me) while walking. And it's easiest for Doozy too to have the correct response with minimal (altho decidedly non-zero) tension. But once we start trotting?? All bets are off!

trailer has a lot of airflow already, but i still feel a lot of relief with these additions

It's also interesting to try to pay attention to both my lower legs and my upper body at the same time. Bc what we're figuring out is that... I want to tip over to the right while using my right leg --- when what I really need to be doing is making the whole right side of my body longer from shoulder to heel. 

i think mare appreciates too <3

So my objective, while tracking to the right, is to feel like I can sink into my left leg, feel like I've got eyes on the left side of my horse's neck, but also keep my inside right leg down and on. Essentially trying to create some independence between my upper and lower body.

just normal lesson things

Doozy, for her part, wants to be very reactive to the leg aid, and wants to get hurried and flustered. Which, ya know. Fair. It's a big rule change for her, considering we've gotten along this far on the compromise of, "don't fucking touch me with your legs unless you want me to GO."

Which... Come to think of it, isn't much of a compromise LOL.

#NormalizedChaos

But ya know. That's why it's homework, I guess. I'm figuring out that a LOT of our "established" aids kinda lived in this one-sided application -- like our down transitions. Apparently we can only transition down when bent left, which... wow, uh, whoops!

With Charlie, I more or less enabled some of our co-dependencies and compromises, bc many were rooted in his own physical limitations. But with Doozy? I'm still hoping to get a fresh start, correct some of my own bad habits, and hopefully give her a more solid (and straight) foundation to promote her own long-term soundness. 

So we'll keep chipping away at it.