Finding my rhythm

Yesterday, due to phonecalls and other office work, Peggy dropped me at the barn after 11.30am to start Sully, but only came out to the barn herself at 1.30pm. The three of us had a "formal" catch up in the morning, so they could check in on where I was at, what I needed from them now/before I leave and what the plans are for the rest of my stay.

One major thread for me is the change from doing the Connected stuff *for me*, to doing it *as part of the Connected community,* with a view to how I can continue it. The PIT clinic in Oregon really cemented the feeling of being in a community. I know we have a great bunch of people at home, so it was lovely to see another couple of small groups within the larger picture. It's that feeling of being within a large family, as opposed to out on your own, doing your own thing. What I take from it is my ability to help and support others, whether that's the friends I have made through going to lessons and clinics, or Trisha, or Peggy, or new people.

At the barn, Sully got a little groundwork in his halter before going out to move on the lunge. He is coming along nicely. He started with a better rhythm and was more responsive to my voice (he is learning the vocal cues and remembering he has ears on the top of his head). Essentially I work with a repetition of out, in, on to keep him balanced and moving well. Today I also did a couple of walk-trot transitions, with focus on preparing him to do those transitions smoothly and without head going up too much.

Chico and Fon were nearly groomed when Peggy arrived. We tacked them up and went down to the arena. Karen was riding Bracken, who was particularly low energy. Peggy got on Bracken to work him through some things and unstick him somewhat, through asking him to be more responsive to her leg and rotation and to move his hind feet more actively (thus, engaging his hindquarters), which resulted in him being able to stretch his head and neck rather than curl (his habit). Karen took Bracken out onto the trail to practice those things and came back beaming. A significant point was that, although Bracken requires time to warm up (he is 20), it is not helpful for him if he is allowed to drag himself around with low energy. The exercises Peggy did took perhaps 30 minutes; on a really sluggish day, you could be totally happy with the place he ended up at, and put him away. On a day with more energy, you could ask for more from him.

Chico gave me some things I haven't had from him before. He was quite stuck through his shoulders. Peggy demonstrated some lateral work which unstuck the left shoulder. I picked him up and immediately had to unstick the right (I think both were stuck to start, with the left more stuck). Once on, I got a feeling of wiggliness (to borrow a phrase from a friend, he was like a "jelly snake"!) and rushiness. He was overbending his neck to the inside but every time I so much as touched the outside rein, he'd change direction. He was also gawking at the old peacock cage (that has not had peacocks in it for quite some time), perhaps contributing to his inability to focus and listen to my directions. It was frustrating, to say the least, but a lesson in riding the horse you have today. In between fussing, I did get one canter from him, though the depart was not super, I got up out of the saddle to find my boingy roly poly legs which gave him enough rhythm to sort himself out for two strides before coming back to the trot. I was aiming to get him more responsive in the trot to canter again (and/or in the other direction), through repeated out/in and spirals (sending him in and out on the circle, from both inwards and outwards rotation - 4 combinations).

Meanwhile Peggy was riding Fon, who was doing very well (though not quite as well as Saturday, she tried her heart out). She was listening to Peggy's rhythm, which helped Fon get back into balance if she lost it. She gave some lovely stretchy trot to the left.

By that time we were both toasted so turned horses out and went home! Dinner was one of my creations while Peggy and Susan weeded the garden... Pan-fried chicken breast, seasoned with a mix of chilli, paprika, salt & pepper, served with salad that had tomato, avocado, red onion, capsicum and fresh corn, cut off the cob. Followed by Pie a la Joan (blackberry and peach). Susan then dropped me and my ridiculous amounts of stuff (poorly packed, hence the requirement for my backpack, laptop bag, small - borrowed - suitcase, super large suitcase, small cooler with frozen food items, cardboard box with other food items and two shopping bags with a few small purchases for the kitchen at home) to Lana's, where I stayed at the start of my trip.

Today was a late barn start which meant a slight sleep in (tomorrow will be the same, yay). Lana and Ron dropped me off at the barn on their way out to the beach with Selena. It is the first time I've been able to catch up on chores like mucking out in two weeks (though feed and tack cleaning has never suffered, mucking out in the intense heat was not ideal).

Sully was up first. We did a little groundwork including some leg stretches, which he was very generous with and held for quite some time (most horses move their legs back very quickly after you let go). I lunged him briefly to see where he was at while Peggy helped Karen out for a bit. He is really changing this week, physically and mentally. His walk and trot were good rhythm, he wasn't rushing around and he listened to my voice commands. Peggy rode him until it looked like the heavens were about to open, and she wanted me to feel what he was offering so I got on. The focus was four corners, specifically the parts that are going to get haunches in and turn on the haunches (the 'next' thing I really wanted to learn). The threatening rain had backed off and though it didn't feel like a long time, we'd had him down in the arena for over an hour and a half, but he was great and I even did a little trot, finding my rhythm and his rhythm to get his base up.

Lana had taken Chico for a ride so left him tacked up. After a quick bite to eat (I was ravenous, looking at the clock thinking "it can't be 4.00pm, but it's sure not 12.20pm" at least three times before realising it was, indeed, late afternoon). I used the mounting block near the tack room and rode him to the arena. I asked for his hind legs with various rotation (from a halt), then a bit of walk with my wiggle to activate each hind leg as required, and trot, with spirals in and out from both inwards and outwards rotation, also the "waterski" exercise to really find my boing. His hind legs were present today, as was his brain, so we had some super trot. I also asked for canter: in each direction, I thought I had his hind legs but the first canter request ended up with racey unbalanced trot. However, I really made sure his hind legs were there before asking again and had some SUPER canter from him. Peggy noticed a fair bit from her vantage point in Fon's stall and called out a lot of encouragement. I am very pleased he gave me that today, after his bullish-ness yesterday.

Peggy did quiet work and a very little lunging with Fon while I sorted tack and turned the other horses out into the large field, then it was home time. I scoffed some leftovers for dinner and have pretty much crashed after a nice shower. The weather was cooler today but some hot patches, though supposed to get cold tomorrow and Thursday, before fining up for the weekend, when we'll be in Seattle.