November 17, 2015

In Between

I took the suggestions from the comments of my last post and started my ride on Saturday quietly focusing on my position and balance first, and Connor second.

It made a world of difference - he was tuned in to my quiet aids from the beginning.  Not that he was on my aids from the very beginning, but he was ready to be.

What a good looking animal, if I do say so myself.

I asked for some directive for my rides on my own right now, because in the past, we would work on an exercise each week.  It wasn't like "This is this week's exercise," it was pretty organic, but I always had something to duplicate on my rides on my own.
Loving this indoor, also, my bonnet matches my pad, you're welcome everyone.

Lately though, we work on position and feel in general, and a lot of that happens on 20m circles or shoulder in.  And don't get me wrong, we're making a ton of progress, but it feels like the progress happens in my lessons and the other six days of the week it's like ?!?!?!??!?.  And the lessons keep getting better one after the other, so I'm not complaining, but I do need to shape up my rides on my own.

So right now, it is "focus on shoulder in".  And that is helping.  I just feel like we're at a very weird in-between stage where in order to move on, we have to get around this corner.  But we haven't shown in so long (both good and bad), I don't know where we are.

The other piece of that is that we're in the self-imposed final three weeks of the renovation loan on the house (gotta get our mortgage settled before the fed (probably) raises interest rates at their meeting on the 15 (things I've never had to care about before)), and I have a massive test to pass by Nov 30 for work, so I am REALLY not riding a lot right now.  I signed him up for two trainer rides a week this month knowing it would be crazy.

I have a feeling I'll come up for air in December ready to rock with some January schooling Dressage shows.  Anyone wanna join?
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11 comments:

  1. emmaNovember 17, 2015 at 2:19 PM

    ugh i totally know that feeling of not really knowing what to do in my solo schooling rides...

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  2. KarleyNovember 17, 2015 at 3:58 PM

    He looks sooooo handsome all clipped!

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  3. redheadlinsNovember 18, 2015 at 10:33 AM

    Yay matching! Things that don't happen here, January schooling dressage shows...but you get winter too! No excuse Idaho, no excuse.

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    1. JenNovember 18, 2015 at 2:53 PM

      We only have one venue that I know of that does it, and it's regularly sketchy depending on the weather, but it's an option if I'm seriously needing it by then. We did so little showing this year (just one show!)

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  4. SprinklerBanditNovember 18, 2015 at 11:48 AM

    Love the matching outfit!

    If you look at this from a little bit more meta angle, it's actually a good thing. You guys are at a really cool point, training-wise. Your trainer is able to spend more time finessing Connor's training and you can be distracted by the house, which is a good mental break. :-)

    January will be amazing.

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    1. JenNovember 18, 2015 at 2:51 PM

      So much outfit love, lol. I normally fail everyone.

      Thanks, that's a good way to look at it. January will be amazing, as long as I can not forget how to ride before then.

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  5. KellyNovember 18, 2015 at 3:58 PM

    Where are you planning to show in January? We missed the last few shows of the season due to moving and our own renovations - barn, not house :)

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    1. JenNovember 18, 2015 at 4:03 PM

      The only one I know of is the January Blast show at Majestic Farms near Cincinnati.

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  6. MicaylahNovember 19, 2015 at 10:41 AM

    I feel you about being crazy this month. I have no trainers at my barn so Ries just gets to relax!

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