All The Kings' Horses

 Gia had a few extra days off while I was out of town.  It definitely showed today ... I started our lesson today with a stretch at the walk.  She was a bit quick and tense, so I worked on getting her to slow her walk down and relax a bit.  When that was better, I picked her up to medium walk, and started to work on transitions.  She was VERY resistant in all her transitions today, so I had to do a lot of flexing one way, and pushing her shoulder the other way until she softened.  We did a lot of transitions, changes of bend and direction, and lengthening and collecting work to get her more obedient and supple.  Suzin also had us do a variety of movements, such as shoulder-in, turn-on-the-haunches, even a little bit of half pass at the walk and trot.  It didn't feel like much, but, despite her resistance, Gia did get a few steps that were ok!  We also did a little work on the canter.  There were times she didn't want to go forward, so we argued about that, but she never bucked

 Gia and I had drill team practice tonight.  Despite the soggy weather, she did pretty good.  Our team just goes at the walk and trot.  She was very obedient and soft.  She responded well to bending, up and down transitions, and was fine with the other horses close to her.  

 I took Gia for a hack today.  Usually, we go on the trail behind the farm, but it was blocked today, so I decided to take her for a hack down my dirt road.  We had never been out there before, so there were lots of new things to see (and spook at).  She did get nervous about a few things - the flag on someone's mailbox, a new driveway, etc.  Each time, I just let her stand until she relaxed, then we moved on.  In general, she was pretty good!

 Gia and I had a jump lesson with Charlie this morning.  She felt a bit tight and behind my hand when I first started walking.  Every time she felt too light like that, I pushed her to go more forward.  As soon as she felt more correct - more heavy in my hand, with her poll up and nose out, I relaxed and worked on stretching her down.  It took a few transitions like that before she was behaving more consistently.  When I picked her up to trot, I reacted the same way, if she felt too light, or behind my hand.  I asked her to go forward, come back, leg yield and haunches-in at the trot.  Then I asked for canter.  She felt a little tight at first, but as soon as I pushed her forward, she settled into a better canter, and even kept it longer and more balanced. Since she warmed up better, we got to jump a lot more today - several small courses.  Anytime she cantered, I allowed it and helped to balance her, while keeping her forward.  Then I would come back to the trot before the next jump. 

 I took Gia to the hunter schooling show at Pleasant Hill Farm in Hillsborough today.  Danielle lunged her while I rode another horse, then I hopped on to school in the warm up ring.  She was not very good in the warm up.  She threw in a LOT of bucking as we trotted and jumped around.  I was able to keep her poll up, and kick on, but I think she is learning to buck with her head up.  Sigh. After warm up, I lunged her again, for a little while more.  It was a bit of a wait before our 2' over fences classes, and I wasn't sure how that wait would work for her.  We basically did all three of our over fences classes back to back without leaving the arena.  She started out with some bucking, but I kicked her on and kept her haunches to the left.  After about the first half of the second round, she finally decided to put her feet on the ground and canter and jump like a lady.  Our last class was much better, and we definitely ended the day on a good note!

 I lunged Gia over jumps today, starting with just a pole on the ground.  We worked all the way up to a 2' vertical with a boogie board underneath.  As expected, she was a bit surprised by the boogie board.  She did dodge it once, and jumped it quite big a few times, but eventually, jumped it just right in both directions.

 I worked on flatwork with Gia today in the light rain.  I started with stretching at the walk, then free walk to medium walk transitions.  We also worked on halt, rein back and walk transitions.  She was a bit resistant at first to the forward transitions, but we worked through it.  When we moved on to the trot, I also worked on halt, rein back and trot transitions.  She was also resistant at the transition to trot, at first.  When she softened, I was able to get a really nice trot in each direction.  I finished by working on stretching her down at the trot.  It took a little while, but I was able to get a good, long neck at the stretch.

 I warmed Gia up with some free walk, then free walk to medium walk, in our lesson with Suzin today.  Once we were warmed up at the trot, we worked on a number of different ways to get Gia to "sit down" and push off better when she lengthened her stride at the trot.  We tried halt to rein back to lengthened trot to working trot or medium walk.  We also did turn-on-the-haunches to lengthened trot to working trot or medium walk.  In each case, I was able to feel her get lower in her hind end, and elevate the forehand.

 I took Gia for a hack on the trail today.  She was a little nervous about the head of the trail, at first.  I let her stand quietly and look around for a few minutes, until she relaxed.  Then she asked to go forward, so we went on into the trail.  She was fairly relaxed, but quick, for the most part.  She did get a little too quick at one part, so I made her stop and relax before moving on.

 I took Gia to the Carolina Horse Park this weekend for the War Horse schooling and show.  On Saturday, we lunged, then warmed up, and then schooled stadium and cross country.  She was fairly quiet on the lunge, and a little excited in warm up.  She had some friends with her, so she wasn't feeling as needy.  She did throw in a few small bucks when cantering away from a few jumps, but I got her poll up and kicked her, and she was good.  As we were waiting our turn to enter the ring, anytime she stood still, I gave her a small treat.  She did a lot better with that this weekend. In the stadium ring, we rode our course fairly well.  There was a little drama and bucking in the beginning, but I kept her poll up and sent her forward, and she finished fairly well. Out on cross country, she felt really good!  We jumped all of the Green As Grass jumps, as well as many of the Maiden jumps.  She did stop at the water.  I let her relax and choose to move forward on her own.  It helped that her

 I took Gia out to the field for a little bit of jumping.  She warmed up quite well, at the walk and trot, with collecting and lengthening, haunches-in and leg yield.  I put her over a variety of different jumps - both stadium and cross country.  She only trotted the small ones, but as they got bigger, she did canter more.  When she cantered, I worked on collecting and organizing it, once her poll was up and she was moving forward off my leg.  She thought about being naughty a time or two, but never had a chance to follow through.

 I started Gia out with stretching at the walk, then free walk to medium walk transitions in our lesson today.  Before the trot transitions, I worked on walk to halt to rein back to walk.  She had to be obedient, straight and not rushing.  It took several transitions before she was relaxed and focused, and then we went from rein back to trot.  At the trot, we worked on bending and straightness, and various exercises to improve both.  We did a lot of shoulder-in, collecting and lengthening, circles, and even a little renvers and half pass (attempts). When we were ready to canter, we worked on going from shoulder-in to canter to help her engage from behind better.  I really had to focus on having the correct amount of bend.  I was actually able to get a lot of nice canter moments.  She was only against my hand a little at times, so I was able to collect and organize the canter much better!

 Gia and I had a lesson at CDP with Charlie today.  We started with leg yields, bending, haunches-in, collecting and lengthening at the walk and trot.  She was fairly obedient and focused.  Then I asked for some canter transitions in each direction.  She was a little grumpy and bucky today, but I was able to keep her poll up each time and keep my leg on so she went forward, so she was not as powerful as she usually is when she bucks.  We also worked on the canter after a few jumps.  She got a little stronger and more determined with her bucking after a few jumps, but once she realized that I wasn't going to give in, she gave up, and the rest of the ride was fairly nice.

 I had a light flatwork session with Gia today.  We mainly worked on halt, reinback and trot transitions, as well as softening and responding more quickly.  When I asked her to soften, she would respond dully to the forward cue.  When I sharpened her response to the forward cue, she wanted to resist against my hand.  There was a lot of back and forth before she felt better in both ways.  Sometimes, I would not rein back more than one step, and then send her forward as soon as she came against my hand.  By the end of our ride, she was much more obedient and soft.  I also worked a bit on stretching down and coming back up.  Both were OK, but got better.

 I took Gia for a hack on the trail today.  She was quite nervous about some things that are around the head of the trail.  When she got nervous, I stopped her, and we just stood still, allowing her to check everything out.  When she was visibly more relaxed (in this case, a lick and chew), I turned her around and headed back towards the barn.  Before we got all the way back, I turned around and went back to the head of the trail.  We got a little further in, before she got nervous enough that we stopped and waited for relaxation.  We went back to the barn again, once she was relaxed, and then headed back to the trail.  This time, we made it all the way into the trail.  After just a short distance on the trail, I turned her around for our final trip back to the barn.  Each time gets easier and easier.

 I had a wonderful dressage lesson with Suzin today.  Again, I thought Gia was going to be a bit naughty, since it was windier than even the last two windy days have been.  But, she was really pretty good!   We started with stretching at the walk, all the while, working on getting her straight, under me with her hind end, and elevated in the forehand.  When she was more correct, her stretch was really good! I did the same at the trot.  When she was correct, I also worked on stretching her neck longer and more forward, but without going down.  We also worked on the same thing from walk to trot and trot to walk.  She gave me a LOT of nice moments! Finally, we attempted to do the same stuff at the canter.  She was absolutely wonderful!  We didn't exactly keep everything through the transitions, but I was able to get her back together fairly quickly after the transitions.  Her canter was maybe the best I've ever felt!  And, I was able to get her fairly promptly back to a nice trot!

 I took Gia to CDP for a lesson with Charlie today.  She felt a little tense at first, probably because it was so windy.  We started with bending and leg yielding at the walk.  Then collecting, lengthening, leg yielding and haunches-in at the trot.  She was pretty responsive and obedient to everything. With the canter, she was fairly good in her up transitions, but didn't keep the canter for very long at first.  I had to keep my leg on and keep her poll up, and then she was able to keep her canter a bit longer.  She only tried to canter once when she wasn't supposed to, so I went back to collecting and lengthening the trot.  She only "swished her haunches" a couple of times, but didn't really buck.  There were several times where her canter felt really good! We went over several verticals and oxers.  Mainly, we focused on keeping a good, forward, but not long, trot on the approach, and then worked on the canter upon landing.  She had a lot of great moments today!

 I worked on dressage with Gia at home today.  We started with a nice free walk, and transitions between free walk and medium walk.  We moved on to halt transitions.  She was a bit stiff and resistant at first, so I worked on bending.  I asked for a little bit of rein back, but only after she stopped anticipating.   With the trot, I worked on halt, bend, trot transitions.  I also worked on collecting and lengthening the trot.  Throughout the medium walk and working trot work, I focused on keeping her poll up.  She did fairly well with that. Finally, I asked for a few canter transitions in each direction.  I focused on keeping my leg on and keeping the poll up, and I kept the canter brief.  There was no bucking, and also no anticipating!