princess mode

Doozy has been an absolute princess this week, and lucky me — there’s actually media to prove it!! Jumping media, woot woot!

nbd just casually being a total princess <3

Tho, me being me, I’m still going to try to combine a couple recent activities into one post, so feel free to skip ahead to the video if that’s your thing.

obligatory “snacks at the trailer” pic

Anyway. We’ve kept a full dance card this week after last week’s travel — esp in preparation for another upcoming go at Loch Moy. So earlier this week we had our regularly scheduled dressage lesson with trainer C, followed by a routine chiro / acupuncture appt, and then an easy breezy jump school at home.

did a drive-by of our vet’s office on the way to our lesson to get a microchip number!

The dressage lesson was another good one — focusing on the same areas we’ve been building on with trainer C. In particular, more and better leg yields and spirals, and trot and canter loops. The canter loop I think is from test 1-2 or 1-3 maybe, not sure, and introduces counter canter.

smartest biscuit can smell the future flowers

I’ve always loved counter canter — Charlie was legit the best at it, plus it was the #1 exercise to get him straight, in front of the leg and on the aids without making him fizzy or pissy. Doozy’s proving to be pretty decent at it too, tho her left lead is stronger right now. She seems to like the complexity of needing to focus on it and it’s useful in the same ‘proactive’ way I’ve been writing about already.

obligatory picture of the latest in stabby jabbies!

It was an interesting lesson tho bc we continue to peel back layers of Doozy’s insecurity. She’s learning to hold a lovely tempo — and particularly learning to find that tempo again after a gait change or disruption or whatever. And she was able to be softer in her overall posture within that tempo too. 

ooooh and actual action shots omg!

Tho it’s almost like she feels a little more vulnerable in that soft open balance, vs the tight rigid ‘on-the-muscle’ feeling she so often has. She almost got a little more spooky and ADHD while we were cantering thru the loop exercise, like she’s less sure of herself. But she held it together and did nicely, and was able to regain the soft balance again if we lost it. 

look at us trotting a crossrail all casual and low key <3

It’s really an exciting feeling, like she’s really thinking and learning. Doozy is such an overachiever, it can be tricky when she’s like, ‘I KNOW we are going to canter, so can’t we just get on with it?’ but it’s like some of these exercises — like the spiral — are turning into almost cheat-codes, where she’s like, “OH, ok, I recognize this pattern, fine.”

and the little boxes too!

Truly amazing what regular lessons and practice can do, amirite?? LOL…

*pats self on back for setting up an oxer lol*

Speaking of which!! We also had a lovely jump school! With media omg!! Our first jumps after Loch Moy were in a lesson with Sally about a week and a half ago, then I jumped a few little things at home too — again just really trying to reestablish the whole ‘routine practice’ thing. 

when the horse lands more organized than you expected lol

And then this week I knew I wanted to fit in a schooling session once the ring dried out. Most of the jumps were already in place but I reset the heights for our purposes — including giving myself two oxers, something I don’t always do LOL… And also shifted one combination into a 21’ in and out of verticals.

she has the sweetest expressions
(and giantest nostrils!)

Overall a nice set of singles to catch off both leads from various straight or bending approaches. Plus a set of 3 ground poles at 9’, and a cross rail with trot pole at 7’ for warming up. 

still gave myself a placing pole into the combo

Of particular interest to me was our gear for the day — I’m experimenting with Charlie’s saddle again since it didn’t sell after a year at consignment, and it’s truly my favorite saddle in the world. Our County is lovely, don’t get me wrong, but this l’Apogee is just… ugh, my favorite <3 

I might look into re-panelling it for Doozy, actually, since perhaps it’ll be easier to sell the County anyway? Idk. We’ll see. 

#GridSavant

I also am trying out a new bit for our jumping too: it’s a knockoff verbindend mouth piece with bevel cheeks. My intention is to give myself more reliable braking power so that I’m more trusting that it’ll be there when I need it, vs needing to hang on to the ‘e-brake’ nonstop. 

ooooh and a second oxer too, go me!

And so far I really like it!! We actually first wore it in Doozy’s first ride back after my trip last week, and I tried to be really clear about establishing a pattern of a big clear whoa into down transition (not necessarily a heavy aid, but aiming for a faster more crisp response), followed by a big clear release. It seemed to work, and Doozy didn’t seem at all offended by it. So far so good!

full video of our jump school!!

Tho to be honest, Doozy was on a whole ‘nother plane of perfection for this jump school. Idk what was in her wheaties this morning but she was just like… The happiest fucking camper in the whole universe omg! Literally perfect, no notes. 

Like, ok, sure, notes for the rider, obviously. Always. Like, Emma, please stop jumping the left side of every fence, for fucks sake, ok? 

the best biscuit <3 <3 <3

But the horse?? So good <3 So perfect <3 Who knows why LOL, she’s a mercurial critter, it’s hard to understand the rhythms and currents of her tension vs relaxation. 

Rides like this, tho… It’s like, “OMG Holy Shit, she IS getting trained!!” Slowly but surely, amirite?