Holiday

I was out of town on a family vacation and my trainer was at a horse show, so Cupid got a few days off.  He started off a little cranky in our lesson last Thursday, but we worked through it and hopefully a few days off will have him refreshed.  It wasn't anything too bad, but he felt short strided when we first started trotting, and just a little dull.

I didn't want to ride him the next day, but was a bit torn since I was going to be gone the next several days.  So instead we did a groundwork session.  We walked over poles on the ground, poles raised on one side, and the flower box.  We walked in between barrels.  We backed up, and moved haunches.  Then I set up the poles in a U on the ground.  We walked through it a few times, then backed through it.  We still need to work on straightness backing up, but we did get through without touching the poles.  Cupid seemed pretty interested in what we were doing, I think he enjoyed a little change in the routine. 

Coming through the U

I think he knew they were fake, but wanted a taste anyways!

Tuesday morning was our first ride back, and in addition to having several days off it was also very foggy.  Cupid was a little quick, but he was listening.  Well I thought he was quick, but my trainer said he was forward and it was a good thing. :p  I felt a little rusty, and my lower back was hurting, but I tried to sit up straighter and keep my hips open.  I was collapsing through the side a little, and not stretching down through my left leg as well.  We worked on bending, counter bending first on the arena long sides then on a circle.  We did transitions between walk and trot, then trot and canter.  We were a little slow with picking up the left lead canter, sometimes having a few running steps.  We had a few nice moments when Cupid was on the bit.