Cold, damp May

Cupid and I have been taking it a bit easier in the past few weeks because though he got mostly better he didn't feel totally right.  First it was the hoof, then I think he may have slipped in the pasture because he had some scrapes on one side and seemed a little sore.  So he's just been in light work, no jumping and didn't even canter for a few weeks.  We've been working on getting him used to riding with more contact.  He doesn't like it, it makes him pretty fussy.  And I don't help matters any because my hands tend to be pretty open so I let him pull the reins.  Lunging him in the side reins helps, he's gotten pretty used to that so I just need to work on myself!

We tried on a dressage saddle.  Unfortunately it didn't quite fit him, it was a little too wide, but I thought it was comfortable.  I'm keeping an eye out and hopefully can find one second hand that fits us both.

May has been very cold and damp.  Cupid is near the coast, and it's only 15 minutes from my house but it often quite a bit colder and wetter.  Here he is looking like a camel while I keep him and my saddle dry before our lesson, and with a banana slug!

Feeling Better?

Cupid seemed fine this morning.  In fact he was feeling very frisky.  I walked him a couple laps around the barn, then let him into an empty paddock and after investigating it for a few minutes he wanted to play!

His regular vet needed to give him a vaccine anyways, so took a look and said Cupid looked sound.  No elevated pulse, no sensitivity to hoof testers, nothing.  I don't know whether to feel relieved or apprehensive...

Foot Bruise... more time off

I came back from my conference Tuesday night.  Wednesday morning Cupid and I had a lesson.  I could definitely tell that I hadn't been riding!  Cupid got off a little easy in the first part of the lesson as we focused on my equitation.  I still have the same problems of tilting forward, arms too straights, hands too open, legs too far back.  Then we worked on canter serpentines with simple lead changes, something new for us.  The first time Cupid got all the leads correct, but I need to plan ahead a little better so we change before the turn.  We did it again the same direction (starting on left lead) and I rode it a little better the second time.  Without me realizing, on one loop Cupid changed leads on the front but not the hind.  I think once we do something then he kind of figures it out.  Which is good and bad, because sometimes he tries to anticipate what I'm going to ask before I do.  Sometimes I actually want something else, but he gave me the other thing so nicely I let him get away with it!  Or he does a really super canter transition but I didn't ask him for it, our trainer has caught on and tells me I need to make him trot and wait until I ask.  Then we changed directions and Cupid did not get all his right leads.  Usually on account of me not sitting back or letting him rush into it when he's not properly balanced.  It was a really good exercise!

Then on Thursday we had another lesson scheduled.  We started with some warm up exercises for me including toe touches, swinging my legs (oww on my hips!), and lifting my legs off the saddle (also oww, but got a little better eventually).  I tried a little trotting without stirrups and Cupid kept going to a walk.  I thought he just didn't like my on his back/not posting.  But then we realized he is off, again.  :( He seemed a little sensitive and warm on his right front pastern.

The trainer's vet was coming out later this morning and was able to take a look at Cupid.  She said it looked like a foot bruise, maybe an abscess.  So Cupid's right front foot is wrapped with poultice and he is going to be in a stall a few days.  Hopefully that's all it is, and clear relatively quickly.

Time Off

Cupid and I diligently did lot of lunging while our trainer was gone.  We also worked on our circles, riding through the corners, soft canter transitions, and yielding the haunches.  We were to have our first lesson back yesterday, but as I was walking Cupid to the arena I thought he looked stiff.  It was a cold drizzly morning so I thought he would work out of it.  He seemed okay at the walk, but as soon as I asked him to trot he was head bobbing lame.  So, end of lesson.  Nothing too obvious, his right front knee felt a little warm so I cold hosed it (and the other knee and his shoulders as well just in case.)  I went back in the evening and he was already walking much better.  I'm sure he was actually hurting, but I think he may be the type of horse that does overreact a little.  Which is both good and bad!  I will be gone at a conference so he was going to get a few days off anyhow, though if he looks okay I may give him a light right tomorrow before I go.

When I first got Cupid he was not very interested in grass, or just too well mannered to try while he was being led.  Now he doesn't let anything stop him!  He will go up or down steep hillsides, through brambles, over branches and logs, or anything else in his path!  Sometimes I think he may be part goat.  He also loves to eat moss off trees, and I'm pretty sure he was eating part of a rose bush.

Progression

Cupid and I have are having a bit of a break between lessons since our trainer is away.  I asked him what we should work on in the meantime, and much to my dismay he said more longing.  He thinks I should lunge every time before I ride, but I'm kind of lazy.  Plus so much gear!  Lunge line, side reins, and whip for lunging, then also have to haul up the martingale and crop for riding - my gear is by the pasture which is a long walk from the arena!  But anyways I'm trying to be a good student and following instructions.  So far we just lunged on Tuesday, lunged and rode on Wednesday, and today I didn't lunge before I rode because I was a little pressed for time before work. 

The side reins are now where Cupid can actually feel them.  The first time I asked him to canter I was afraid he was going to flip himself over.  He tried running out but I held the line, so he stopped with his nose as high in the air as he could get it.  Luckily he's getting used to it and doing much better now, he doesn't like it but now will canter quietly.  Here's a little series to show his progression: October 2014, February 2015, and April 2015 (first 2 photos flipped for easier comparison).

We've also been working on our canter transitions (which are getting much better), yielding haunches (making progress, I think today he finally understood what I wanted him to do), and haunches in (this one still needs a lot of work).

Bounce!

Cupid and I had 4 lessons last week, and he was very good throughout the week. We had our first bounce exercise - three jumps set so there is stride in between. Cupid figured it out right away! He has been relaxed going into jumps, not rushing. We also played with coming into a jump from different directions/angles. Since Cupid has been so good I've been trying to focus on some things I need to work on - sitting up straighter going into the jump, not jumping ahead, keeping my legs from swinging back, and not pushing my hands down. Yes I have a lot of things I need to work on!

The flatwork has been going good as well. We are managing to get the correct canter leads both directions most of the time and are working on improving the transition. I'm working on making sure I'm more relaxed myself, when I get tense I squeeze my things and pitch forward. It can be a vicious cycle when Cupid starts getting a little fussy I tense up, which makes him more tense and so on. I've found that a long slow exhale helps me a lot.
The weather has been nice and Cupid is shedding his winter coat. He got a bath on Saturday. I don't think he's going to be as dark as he was last year, since he lives outside now. Since we worked so hard this week on Sunday we took it easy and went on a little trail ride. He was perfect.

More Jumping

Cupid and I are doing pretty well in our jumping. Right now we are working on trotting quietly into jumps. He likes to pick up a canter before a jump, our trainer says because he wants to use the momentum to get over instead of pushing off his hind so my job is to hold him to a trot, but keep him forward enough to jump. And of course keep him straight before and after the jump. We are trying, and I think making progress. We tried some new jumps today, including a rolltop and fake wall, as well as the plastic barrels we've done before. We jumped everything in this picture, I think they were about 2'-2'3".

Cupid did try to run out. He's sneaky, he used to always go left (so that's where I usually have my crop) but today he went right. But we got it, and ended the session with a nice jump over the wall. I need to work on sitting up straighter as I tend to lean forward. We have another lesson tomorrow, probably will focus on our flatwork.