If It Ever Cools Off

I Will Work the Boys

This morning, C was back for another lesson. I got on her horse for about two minutes, just to see how hard he was to get round...piece of cake--When you know how to do it. Getting correct contact on the outside rein, knowing how much to "play" the inside rein, knowing when to soften, when to take more contact, all are a matter of "feel." And you can only get "feel" when something works and the horse responds.

Today Checkers was really trying to figure it out and there were a good number of moments when C had him foward, soft, and lovely. The cool thing was that she told me she could feel how good it was and, especially how much better and more controlled he felt when he was right. Hope so, because I think she was smiling and she told her mom he felt so good.

The key today was setting up some markers (Blox) in the area to completely define a circle. One in the center and four equally spaced around the perimeter. Riding an accurate circle with a consistent bend can be a lot harder than some people think, and it is a key to finding the accurate and consistent aids to encourage the horse to go correctly. When a rider works to shape the horse on the circle curve, the aids just tend to get more and more correct.

After we established good work from the horse, we focused a bit on C's postition, getting her to square her shoulders a bit more and sit in a more vertical position instead of leaning forward, especially on the canter departs.

Another good lesson, I think. C is a good little rider and very smart about understanding the basics.

Now, if it cools off and another thunderstorm does not come through, I hope to lunge Tucker and Chance. I'll have to start off a little easily again as they've now had over week off again. Trouble it, summer has struck at last and it is hot and humid out there. Ugh.

Addendum: I went out to lunge before dark and both Chance and I were attacked by a bunch of deer flies. The heat, humidity and coming rain must have brought them out in force. At least six were in my hair. I had to surrender. Then when it was finally dark, thunder started to roll in.

I put the Boys in the barn....and the storm seemed to have moved off. But the radar map shows a patch of storms moving in just after midnight. I will still be up, so I'll leave the Boys in until then. I'll check the radar again and if it's clear, I might do a bit of lungeing and then let the Boys out with the pasture closed off.

Or, I will just turn them out and get up really early and try to do some work with them before the flies wake up.

I usually don't get swarms like that, so this wet weather, ususual for this time of year, must really be messing up the usual patterns. The ground around the west side of the barn, under the shade of a big maple tree has been muddy since early Spring. I don't know what I am going to do to try to clean it all up.

The saga never ends. At least I have a tractor with a front end loader to do any digging I need to do....once I figure out exactly what to do. *sigh*