Thursday, June 3, 2010

just a ride

Just a ride and a preparation for the Andre lesson tomorrow. And a shirking of my farm duties too probably. And make no mistake, "just a ride" is a magnificent thing.

I can't think of anything spectacular to report about this ride though. She didn't buck into canter. Lisa had said that was probably about her being in heat. We did everything usual except we didn't go walk the hill because I don't want her to be sore tomorrow. She was nicely forward, for her, I think. I try to think forward when she tries to curl which seems to work better for me than more uphill. I struggle with shoulder fore with her and I know Andre will ask for lots of that tomorrow so we just might find out I've got it all wrong or something -- like maybe I'm making more than it is. Andre loves shoulder fore. I worked in 10M circles at walk and 15M circles at trot then asking for lengthenings -- today I think the lengthenings also involved quickening which isn't so good but she also lowers that head and stretches out some which is good. I tried to keep it mixed up so that I wasn't always asking for things in the same pattern because she's so smart, if I do the same thing twice, she anticipates it the second time. She stretched at trot ok.

I was looking forward to the lesson tomorrow with almost no dread until I got the ride times. I am so funny with that, that nervousness, that overwhelming desire to be good that is almost paralyzing and so you either overcome it or you can never be any good. I'm still looking forward to it.

But I think she is improving. I really do.

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