Lisa's Blog post # 25

Every time I ride my confidence in Cotton and in myself grows a teensy bit. 

Monday we did XC flat work and then a few stadium jumps.  Even in this hot, hot weather he still has plenty of get up and go!  First we trotted in 2-point all around the XC field.  We practiced staying at my speed of choice even when the reins were slack.  I always had to slow him back down after a handful of strides.  He didn’t want to take off or anything but he just gradually went faster and faster until he was trotting as fast as his little legs could take him!  Next we cantered around the entire perimeter of the XC field both directions working on the same thing.  He couldn’t go as many strides without speeding up at the canter but toward the end he was staying slow for a little while before creeping into a gallop. 

We also practiced turning in 2-point.  Cotton is the first horse I have ever been able to steer just by looking where I wanted to go!   We were doing all kinds of serpentines at the trot that way and I was impressed with him.  Do all horses do that?

Turning at the canter takes a little more effort on my part.  He tended to just give me a neck bend when I wanted to round a corner to the right and he swapped leads on me once as we turned to the left.

I practiced the grab mane with loopy reins thing as we entered the take-off zone over the stadium jumps.  After reading Lesley’s articles, however, I realize I should have packaged him more on the turns because he was pretty strung out and was jumping longer and bigger than he needed to over those little 2 foot fences.

Cotton’s back was sore after I rode him yesterday and again after our lesson today so we may not go to the dressage show tomorrow.  We worked in the snaffle both days to try to prepare for it but did absolutely horrible both days!  We had a few very brief moments of brilliance when I actually experienced what it was like to ride him in dressage correctly, though they quickly vanished after just a few strides.  I was actually steering him with my seat and leg and receiving the energy in my hands just like Lesley talks about in her articles!  One of the problems is Cotton’s anxiety - those dressage letters really get to him.  We would be going along just fine and then all of a sudden he would hallow and speed up as we passed a letter because he knows that in the dressage ring he is asked to do things when he sees those letters!   Then it would take me forever to get him round again.  Lesley put him back in his XC bridle with his bubble bit after she saw how completely exasperated I was getting and we did a little better.  If we do go to the show tomorrow, it’s not going to be pretty!

Today, I asked Lesley why she and our friend Cheryl could get him and keep him round when I couldn’t.  It seems very easy and very complicated all at the same time!  It’s like this magic equation of leg, seat, hand, posture and core that all have to work together and in varying sequences and in varying degrees depending on what your horse is doing at any given millisecond.