Brain overload

My poor brain is in overload, but so is my body! Despite the amounts of physical work, groundwork and riding I've been doing, it is amazing to see what I *haven't* been doing, when I find a new "good" place and work at it.

Wednesday was a huge day. I went to the barn mid-morning to ride Chico before Peggy arrived, as the last Feldy session I will make it to in the US was in the afternoon and I didn't want to miss it.

I tacked Chico up and got on at the barn - no groundwork! I asked him for a little walk, then halted and asked for variations of legs moving around (rotated in, with either outside or inside leg asking, and then rotated out, inside or outside leg asking). After a little more walk, I did some trot, more walk, more trot, canter to the left, trot right, canter right... It was super fun. I had my place, I found my froggy legs and my wiggle, he moved himself in rhythm... we popped over a couple of trot poles to two crosspoles set as a bounce, at a boingy trot, to get a canter transition over the second cross. He did a good amount of decent trot after the canter then I called it a day.

I have to remember my froggy legs, feet position, torso being up and open, alternating rhythm in my elbows (a long stretch, slow give on the reins) and wobbling him to get his engine going.

Fon and Sully were groomed when Peggy arrived. In the arena, I lunged Sully to warm him up. He was nice, with some good walk-trot and trot-walk transitions. Ridden, it was more of the same: find and activate his hind legs, some lateral work, finding the key to get his trot transition under saddle (his right hind is sticky, but get that and wobble and he's trotting!), then work to keep him trotting with his base up, hind legs engaged and head and neck stretching. Combing is a great support for him, and at this point is easier for me to remember than the long stretch, slow give.

The day was a LOT of work for my newly re-discovered froggy legs. Feldy was all about loosening the ribs (and it's appendages). Consequently, in bed, my legs felt like I'd run a marathon (ok, not a marathon... maybe 5kms... haha!).

Today was a late start. I traced copies of the saddle stand pattern so Susan could send it off to some of their peeps, had lunch then got picked up.

Sully was essentially more of the same, with me really able to feel my legs and the work they've done! I need to find some way to keep this up and build fitness... oh, wait, I have two horses at home, practically begging for bootcamp ;)
Sully was distracted and not as present in the arena as he had been. I did a lot of slow, quiet equal & opposing to start, incl heart girth (one and two arms) and some gentle zig-zag rubbing over his ribs as he was SUPER tight there and under the girth, then some one and two line walking (he was heavy on the inside line, but taking the outside line resulted in him twisting his head). Peggy advised me to find the rhythm in the lines and to really ask him for a definite OUT then a definite in.

Side note: I must sound like a broken record... I swear the horses and I have progressed over the past 6 weeks! This is all about building layers. We forget the things the horses couldn't do. For example, Sully simply couldn't stand still while I did caterpillar at the beginning. Today, he was lapping it up, as well as the V, counter caterpillar and cheek press, all while standing still. He accepts more work away from his head and neck while walking (such as hip press), without crabbing sideways or bulging his cheek at me... So, it is simply building layers, with degrees of success and finesse coming in as time progresses.

In any case, once I had the rhythm in the lines, a simple tap with the wand was all that was required for a lovely, fluid transition to trot, and his head stayed down. Woohoo!

Ridden was more of the same things I've been doing. Find the hind legs and use them! His back (and base) is much more up at the start of a ride. He is stretching more with his neck and keeping a steady, soft contact on the bit. My major breakthrough today was finding my froggy legs and using them to my advantage (woohoo!). I also had an easier time finding the rhythm on the reins/with my elbows, as well as using my wobble without him falling into a rushy, fast trot. It was a good ride and I ended on a nice note as I could REALLY feel my legs.

Peggy backed off on Fon who has been a little flat over the past two days. As such, nice easy lunging to start with variations on out and in. Then a short ride, lots of walk, some trot (more to left). Fon is starting to get some really nice releases from left-right and also within the gaits (if she loses herself, she is readily listening to Peggy's rhythm and comes back into a better place).

Tomorrow is Tack Room Clean Up day. I am going to the barn early in the morning to get the horses out of the way before everyone arrives to discuss the tack room organisation. I will come home for lunch and a shower then head over to Seattle for some sightseeing and a live show with mum's cousin's son, Jason (2 years older than me, if I remember correctly), who lives north of Seattle.

Jill also arrives at some point tomorrow tomorrow, with her Lusos and Peggy's daughter Lindsay's horse in tow. I am really looking forward to meeting Jill. She has had a long drive across the country, from the East coast.

In case I don't get back to the blog for a bit...

On Saturday we are all going over to Seattle for a play day, including checking out the King Tut exhibit at the museum.

Sunday is (most likely) lessons with a person on Bainbridge Island.

Monday will be packing day, as on Tuesday we are all off to Oregon, with saddle stands and Miss Fonteyn in the trailer. Someone has to be in Portland in the morning to collect Trisha from the airport, then we'll be at Joan's in Brownsville for the night. I haven't posted about Oregon on the blog but it's been a very talked-about event. I am very privileged and honoured to be invited to assist, as I'll gain a huge amount from the training. Not to mention I'll get to catch up with the very good bunch of people I met at the last Oregon clinic.

Wednesday is course set up at Lori's, near Eugene. I'll be staying with Lori while Peggy, Susan, Jill and Trisha commute back to Joan's. I will update the blog while I'm away, if I have the energy.

Thursday is the first of six days of the CRT 103 course.

We return to Poulsbo the following Wednesday... then I fly home on Friday! Time has raced past and I can't really believe it.