#lots of stretchy walking on a loose rein | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

longspots · 6 years

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Updates!

I haven’t written here in a while! I’m going to try to get better with that. Charm has been fantastic for our past few lessons. My trainer is back to teaching me which is GREAT. I missed her loads, she works me harder than anyone else and knows when to give me shit. Charm is so quiet and relaxed on course now, he’s got a nice, loose hunter canter, doesn’t bulge, just perfect. Then he got taken to a show on the 3rd where he was ridden in a segunda with sealtex around the bars that had dried up and gotten ridged and sharp, plus the rider had harsh hands. He now has substantial rips on either side of his mouth. I feel sick thinking about it. I’ve been going out to see him as much as I can to give him lots of love and polysporin. Our first schooling show is on Saturday, so here’s hoping it’s healed by then.

I didn’t lesson on him on Saturday to let his mouth heal. His owner’s only bitless option was a crazy ass hackamore so I just threw the reins on his halter and prayed lmao. Turns out I didn’t even need to, because he is a perfect rockstar who can do anything!!! I thought I would just walk around and try some trotting if he halted okay, but we had a proper flat ride! His trot was lovely, he was totally still a lazy old man and my rein aids weren’t as precise, but he moved so well off of my seat and leg, and still listened to my hands. We did some trot poles, which are our worst enemy and he was perfect. Did loads of no stirrups, trying to make posting my bitch. Slowly getting better. His canter was great. A little sloppy, but I couldn’t care less, I’m so freaking proud of him. Cantering around the outdoor arena in a halter, WOW. He was so good, I tried a course of poles. It was much harder, he was falling in on his corners and being sticky with the lead changes. It took a couple of tries and some ugly circling, but we did it, and I am so so SO happy (especially since poles are hell with him). Finished with some “stretchy” trot (he never really does long and low) on the buckle and some no-hands trotting and transitions. I had the biggest grin on my face the whole day after that.

For my lesson, my trainer let me ride her jumper, Ben! He is such a sweetheart. Very similar to Charm on the flat, pokey as hellllll. TONS of leg, and after all that no stirrups work, I was feeling it. So our flat warmup wasn’t great because I was exhausted and a bad rider. We warmed up over a tiny little crossrail, just working on keeping him straight, because my left leg is weak and I kept riding into the standard. He is so much fun!! So light and balanced. Moved onto . coursework and had a hell of a time. I LOVE riding jumpers. He just glides over everything! He didn’t need nearly as much contact as Charm does on course, all of my rein aids came from just lifting my hands and he came right back to me. He gets so speedy to the jumps, it’s so much fun. We took a long spot to an oxer that I wasn’t expecting, so I got left behind and didn’t release, then my leg slipped back during the lead change and he did not appreciate that - threw a half-tantrum. Halted, got organized, and did our last jump perfectly. My legs are still dead. My lower leg has improved so much doing no stirrup work every ride for just the past week and a half. Last week my leg looked like Bosty, Saturday I was channeling Beezie 💪🏼Plus my trainer had gorgeous Millbrook leathers which didn’t hurt either!

I definitely need to work on bringing my leg farther back while still keeping my heels down and without pivoting at my knee. Super important!

Other big news! My family is going to look at an acreage tomorrow! It looks perfect so far. There’s a barn, paddocks, and 20 acres of trees, fields, and ponds. If it goes well and we place an offer, I’m contacting the owners of a mare that was posted on a FB group 😬She looks like a dream. 14 y/o spicy dark bay OTTB, jumping up to 1.20, great on cross country, basic dressage, trail riding, pretty much my dream horse and looks like a perfect eventer! Fingers crossed.

#riding journal #charm #ben

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