Cob Jockey

We tried on his new Toklat pad, acquired for a completely reasonable $22 during Riding Warehouse's sale, and because I have no self control where anything dark purple is concerned.

I also stood around and admired his dapples. Wowowowow.


But we actually did get some riding done too.  I focused on keeping both legs on his sides.  The hardest thing about being bareback on him is that my calves hang ineffectively low on his comparatively narrow barrel, and I have to use my hip flexors to draw them up a bit so that they're against his sides.  That's hard, because the hip flexors are tiny little things that wear out quickly.

However, it made a big difference in his straightness and impulsion.  I'm willing to bet that I haven't been "riding each hind leg", especially since switching to bareback.  Because I'm still afraid of friction, we worked at the walk, bringing it back to my trainer's recommendation to halt straight "500 times" last winter, and back to the "halt from my seat on a square with shopping bag elbows" exercise from last summer.

Also somewhat amazingly, I did not get tossed when there was a graveside service in the cemetary across the street that featured over 100 cars and trucks, a several gun salute, and 75 motorcycles that appeared to rev their engines in a salute as well, despite the horses in their fields being on red alert.  Thank goodness Connor's gotten over his motorcycle thing...

Labeled once again, thanks Halter Tags.