Breakthroughs

The past couple of days have included a lot of breakthroughs. Hence, I've been a little slack at writing another blog post (I have kept up with my journal, or I'd have no hope of remembering the details, but it is nice to go over what I've written and keep it fresh in my mind). *However* it is now Sunday evening and I've been writing - and procrastinating - about this blog post since Friday... I am currently sitting in bed eating fresh blackberries while I finish what I started!

On Thursday night, after a spot of shopping in the afternoon and grabbing something to eat, Peggy and I went out to the barn. It was about 8.00pm but still light. The horses had been bought in; we groomed Chico and Fonteyn and took them to the arena for some groundwork and a ride.

Chico is in a really good place. He requires very little unsticking, so I don't have to do much groundwork before I have all his legs present and accounted for. With the fading light, that was a good thing. We didn't ride for long. I had enough time to walk for 15 minutes and practice the "waterskiing" exercise at the trot for another 5 or 10 minutes, with some nice boing-y trot after that. Peggy got some fabulous walk and trot out of Fonteyn.

Side note: I love how easy the boingy trot becomes - it feels effortless - but then you realise your thighs are burning and you have to stop! I foresee a lot of this kind of thing in the future to build up core strength. It is something that will really help Indy, who has been a lot stuck: not interested in going forwards. I knew it was something I was doing (or not doing) but these exercises will really help me get her through and moving to her full potential. 

Friday morning was already quite hot by 8.45am, when we got to the barn. I had Chico groomed and about to be tacked up when Lana arrived for a ride, so we changed plans and Karen quickly got Bracken down to the arena. I took the camera. Peggy took Karen through a more thorough lesson, than Chico and I (following Lana's ride), due to their increased knowledge and fitness. The basic process was the same. We warmed up with a little groundwork then Peggy lunged the horse and rider, so the rider could work on various exercises. We worked mostly in trot.

For me, this meant work on opening myself: knees, thighs, hips, collarbones/shoulders. The Feldy lesson on Wednesday was very helpful - we did rotation of the arms and shoulders. Peggy got me into a place where I felt I was leaning back (I wasn't!), where I had to find the 'roly poly' feeling in my legs to get the boing-y-ness going.
The exercises were circling hands in font of belly (similar sensation to holding a ball to the belly to find neutral/your core), mimicing climbing a rope (similar to hugging your hands to your chest/shoulders), and extending arms out (very similar to the Feldy lesson!!). All of these things had a rhythm and were done with rotation and boingy boingy, roly poly legs. As required, we rotated out if the outside hind leg wasn't active, or the horse was drifting.
The last exercise was grabbing a chunk of mane about halfway up the neck, standing up somewhat in the stirrups, putting hips forward and finding the boing in the trot. When you have it, it feels effortless... until about 3 circles later your thighs begin to burn with the work. Oh dear, not as 'ride fit' as I thought I was!

Peggy then did groundwork with Fon and rode her (4 corners and everything else she's been working on). I lunged Sully to get him moving, including trot to canter transitions. Our ride was essentially the same focus that we've had over the past couple of days: get the four corners. Peggy has been walking me through the beginnings of haunches in and turn on the haunches, an exercise that is super helpful for Sully.

Unfortunately it took us far too long at the barn on Friday so we set out earlier on Saturday (there at 8.00am). The weather cooled off a lot overnight: it was overcast with some fog hanging around over the bay.
Chico was up first. I groundworked then rode him, with the same focus as on the lunge yesterday (though not all of the exercises are possible without someone keeping track of the horse, I could still do the really boingy trot one to practice my roly poly legs). I started to ask Chico for haunches in and some shoulder fore.

Peggy rode Fonteyn while I was on Chico. She said it was the best ride she has ever had. Fon was responsive, willing, and present. If she got a little stuck, she let Peggy's rhythm bring her back into balance, instead of having a meltdown as she has in the past. So, we took them both on a trail ride and practised everything we have been doing in the safety of confined spaces: shoulder fore, haunches in, leg yeilding, extreme rotation and everything else that we needed to navigate the twisty, turny trails and avoid the long blackberry tendrils extending over the trail. It was such a neat way to put everything into a new environment.

Sully got a short groundwork session to consolidate everything we have been doing, then it was home time. I looked after Josie for the evening. Peggy and Susan went over to Redmond to a Norah Jones concert. The funniest thing was noticing the squirrels in the apple tree: they move around, sampling apples, knocking apples down and rustling the branches as they go. Very cute to watch. Hard to photograph (I tried!). Josie is not a fan of squirrels, and, really, they are just super cute, way less aggressive possums... I do enjoy the novelty of new animals.

Today was a day off for the horses and for me, though Susan and Peggy have been hard at work with their practitioner training courses, including planning for the upcoming CRT 103 in Oregon. After brunch (scrambled eggs and turkey bacon, yum) Susan and I went to Silverdale. She had to look for some towels and return a shirt (then find a replacement in the right size). There are a couple of really neat outlet/clearance stores, TJ Maxx and Ross. She also took me through the relatively sedate Kitsap Mall, and the shops JC Penneys, Macy's and Kohl's. I enjoy browsing through the kitchen departments (thankfully I have limited funds and even more limited suitcase space) to see what is available here, that I can't get in NZ. Whirlwind tour completed, shirt sourced, we travelled home via Central for tomatoes and peaches. It was Josie's haircut appointment day and she was (mistakenly) shaved too short, so she looks quite hilarious compared to her previously very-fluffy 'do.'

Blackberries and blog finished, it's definitely time for bed. Tomorrow is pie and pesto day, if Peggy can finish her bookwork and we get done at the barn in a timely manner. Send us some good luck vibes!