Normally I have the entire facility to myself for our Tuesday night rides, but recently we got a new boarder who also comes out on Tuesdays. She's from Western Pleasure Land (it's a place) and is recently converting over to Dressage. She was lunging her former WP horse in one end of the arena with lots of clucks. Of course, hypersensitive Welsh Cob here reacted to each one like they were from me. Made the first few minutes of the ride interesting.
I'm still feeling a little stuck on our own with Dressage, though not nearly as much as before. Last night, I did a lot of leg yielding at the walk, focusing on opening up that left shoulder like we did in my lesson last week, and also 10m circles in the corner followed by a shallow serpentine down the long side. I can feel when it all comes together for him, but I can't maintain it.
No lesson tomorrow (Happy Thanksgiving!), but we have a makeup one scheduled for Saturday. I might go out early and clip him again before our lesson since it's supposed to be 60 degrees (!) and Connor with a half-regrown winter coat is going to act like he's moving through molasses if I don't. I need some Magical Impulsion Dust, aka, clipped hair.
For everyone who has commented about caramels, we're going to do a test batch this weekend and they will be available next week!
I need to reclip too. Or at least, I want to because his hair is so long, but I'm not working him hard enough to justify it yet.
ReplyDeleteI am, mostly only during lessons. He tends to run hot anyway, and it makes such a big difference in how happy he is to work and go forward. Worth it.
Delete"This guy... The love of my life." <- Does your husband know? ;)
ReplyDeleteHe's seen my credit card bill, he has some suspicions. ;-)
DeleteLol, my horse came from WP land. That peanut rolling business baffles me. And all of our horses respond to our trainers voice, which can be really funny if shes clucking at one horse and all of ours speed up.
ReplyDeleteIt baffles me too! That is funny. Mine sometimes unconsciously clucks and sometimes Connor is so fired up he bursts forward and pops his tail.
Deletewhat's a caramel?
ReplyDeleteThey're referring to the homemade candy I put in this post: http://www.cobjockey.com/2014/11/lesson-wrap-up-shoulder-saga-continues.html
DeleteMollie goes faster anytime anyone else clucks too. Kind of annoying but I also kinda love it.
ReplyDeletegood luck with the magical impulsion dust!!! lol
ReplyDelete