Gia - session 518 - dressage

 I worked with Gia on her flatwork today.  We started out just at the walk, with lots of stretching and bending and straightening.  When I first picked up the trot, it seemed to go fine.  I did a few transitions, but those were going fairly well.  As we worked at the trot, and I asked her to bend, she started to feel stuck, and then started to throw in some bucking.  She has perfected her bucking technique.  Now, instead of just kicking out behind, she has learned to jump up and then toss me forward.  It's definitely more effective at trying to get me unseated.  In fact, at one point, she was able to throw me out of the saddle, but I managed to land on her neck and not go any further.  Both of us were a little surprised, so luckily, she didn't continue to buck.  I've landed on horse's necks before, but this was the first time that I didn't slide off.  Her neck is so big that I actually felt I could continue to ride her seated there!  However, I managed to get back in the saddle and continue on.  Every time she felt stuck, not wanting to go forward, I just kept kicking and tapping with the whip until she changed her mind and moved forward.  By the end of the ride, she was much better and much more forward (and I was still in the saddle ☺).