Summertime

The last few weeks at work have been pretty intense, but now summer is here.  Today at 7am I was wearing a tshirt and thankful the outdoor arena was shaded by trees.  It must get pretty warm during the day, since when I see Cupid in the morning he has dried sweat on him.

I had my last few lessons a little earlier so I can get to work earlier, which means I have to ride in the outside arena since they drag the covered arena at this time.  The outside arena is now set up as a dressage court, and no jumping allowed so we did flatwork.  Cupid gets a little tired in the deep sand, and sometimes stumbles a little with his hind legs.

Today I finally had a little breakthrough with not letting Cupid ignore me when he wants to be lazy.  We did our walk warmup, then we went on a 20 meter circle and up to trot my trainer told me right away to get as big a trot as I can out of him.  Get where I feel like I need to slow him down.  So I clucked and squeezed and Cupid was trotting fairly big.  Once he got going I didn't have to do much for him to stay there.  We shortened the trot a few strides then back into a big trot a few times.  First to the left, then to the right.  After that Cupid was very responsive the rest of the lesson, and didn't ignore me when I asked him to pick up a trot again, and when we did trot he was moving out nice.

We cantered on a 20 meter circle both directions, with me focusing on keeping the contact when I ask for the transition, and then sitting up.  Also I continued working on bending my elbows and keeping my hands closed.  Then we did a little leg yielding at a trot from the quarter line back to the rail.  We worked on making sure we were straight before we start the leg yield.  Cupid was good, a little better moving off the right leg.

Outdoor ring - this is a few weeks old when I still needed a jacket!

Jumping Again!

I've been very busy with work and a few other things, so I feel like I haven't gotten to ride quite as much lately.  I've still had my two weekly lessons, but only about two shorter rides or a ride and lunge session in addition to that.  But Cupid is continuing to do well and I'm making some improvements too.

We've done one jumping lesson in each of the last two weeks.  I had been nervous about jumping again after such a long break, but Cupid was very good.  Our first time we did about thirty minutes of flatwork, then started with some poles.  First just trotting over a single pole, then adding a second, then a third, then replacing it with a little crossrail.  I'm happy to say the progress we've made in our flatwork is carrying over to our jumping.

This week started with just one little crossrail that we trotted into.  We did it from both directions a few times, then put it up to a small (probably 18 inch) vertical and cantered it both directions.  We were going to do a little course with three jumps, but then another horse came in to lunge and was kind of in the way so we just did the second two jumps, a crossrail and little brush box, as a line.  The focus was primarily on staying relaxed.  If I think Cupid is starting to get quick (which is relative, he doesn't do much) then I start to tense, which makes him tense too.  So before the jumps we did some circles with increasing and decreasing stride, so I can feel confident that he will come down if I ask.

In today's flat lesson we continued to work on bending, and shortening and lengthening the stride.  We also did a good bit of canter work, both on a 20 meter circle including a little spiraling in and out, and around the whole arena.  I'm still working on not leaning forward.  Today I thought about trying to lean back far enough to have my head touch Cupid's back.  Obviously I don't want to actually do that, but just thinking about that got me mostly straight only slightly forward! 

Begging for carrots!

New Bit

I've been using my Myler bit on both my bridles.  For my purposes right now I don't really need separate bridles, they are both padded and have flash nosebands, but I have a black dressage bridle to go with my dressage saddle and a brown one for my close contact saddle.  I was going to get another Myler so I don't have to keep changing it, but my trainer suggested I try a loose ring french link for flatwork.  I was worried about a loose ring pinching since I'm not sure my hands are always steady, but she thought Cupid would like it to have a little play.  I decided to try a Herm Sprenger.

Herm Sprenger loose ring french link snaffle

I haven't been able to tell much difference in riding him, but at least Cupid doesn't dislike it.  I tried a few different bits when I first got him and he seemed kind of indifferent then too.  But at least now it looks more dressage-y than the dee-ring I had before.

Pre-lunge selfie

We've continued working on similar things for our flat work - bending, a little leg yielding, shortening and lengthening the stride a little.  I also want to get him outside the ring a little more now that the weather has been nice.  We've only been riding around the property, I want to start gradually riding him further away so he gets more relaxed about it.

The Flatwork Continues

Cupid has remained sound and healthy.  We still haven't jumped since before his injury but have been making progress with our flatwork, and me on my position.  I have been riding with a longer rein to be able to sit more upright instead of leaning/getting pulled forward, and I think I've been sitting back a little better. 

My trainer rode Cupid twice in the week I was gone, and said he was very good though on one of the days he wasn't bending as well.  She suggested I set up his next chiro appointment, I hadn't even realized it's been almost two months already.

*I unbuckled his flash and stuck it through the D-ring, I don't actually ride like that!

One of the things we are working on is riding a 20 meter circle, and then do a little shoulder fore before transitions to get Cupid balanced and using himself.  It is hard for me to think of both maintaining the shoulder fore and asking for a transition, but it does seem to have helped with Cupid being bratty not wanting to trot from the walk.  We also worked on our shoulder fore down the long side.  First just doing it to the inside, then switching from shoulder fore to the inside halfway down the long side and to the outside the second half.  Cupid is pretty good at that exercise.

Another exercise we've done on the circle is changing my posting diagonal every few strides.  This gets Cupid's attention and makes him slow down a little if he's rushing - especially useful after cantering when his trot is sometimes too quick.

We have been doing a few canter laps for conditioning, both for Cupid and I!  Usually he starts out lazy and I have to keep him going so he doesn't drop into a trot, but sometimes he really starts getting into it.

I am hoping we might be able to do a dressage show in June!  But it's coming up quick, I'm not sure I will feel ready....

Week Off

I have been out of town for nearly a week so haven't been able to see Cupid.  Although I didn't get to ride, Cupid didn't get off totally free.  My trainer worked with him twice in my absence.  I only got short texts from her but it sounds like everything went well.  My sister also went out during the weekend to give Cupid his grain and fill up his treat dispenser.  I can't wait to go see him tonight!

Vet Check

Not to much new to report with Cupid.  He had a vet appointment for vaccines.  The vet said he is looking good.  The hoof seems healed and his hind end is much stronger.  After discussing it with my vet I decided to keep Cupid in the stall instead of 24/7 turnout.  He is looking very good right now, and is just so accident prone it may be for the best. 

He's been really into giving me kisses lately

We went on a little trail ride around the property this weekend.  Overall Cupid was pretty good, but was getting a little quick again the trail he was spooky on last time, so I turned him around and made him walk back out on it and he walked back calmly the second time.

Great view!

On Sunday we did some arena work, but were both being kind of lazy.  There were a few other horses sharing the arena but Cupid was good.  We just did one short canter each direction, and also trotted over a few poles.

Cupid got a new turnout sheet.  Although I really liked the teal one he had, the binding was coming off and it had a few little punctures in it.  The new one is actually the same as his mid-weight turnout blanket just without any filling. 

Springtime

I think the worst of the rain is finally over.  (Though there is a 60% chance of rain for Friday...)  The horses are enjoying the grass.

Cupid's feet seem to be much better.  My trainer asked me last week if I wanted to do some polework but I wanted to wait a little longer - I don't want him to hit a pole and shock his feet.  So we've been focusing on our dressage work.  Since Cupid often gets cranky in transitions, especially from walk going back to trot, we have been doing them mainly from a shoulder fore so his weight is in his hind end to ease the transitions and also so he is more focused.  It seems to be going well, except sometimes for me it's hard to focus on both the shoulder fore and a transition!

He's had a few days with a little extra spunk but no spring fever like he had last year.  However on Saturday I went on a little trail ride around the property and he got a little excited on a trail he's been on a hundred times before.  It was pretty windy, I don't know if that's what set him off.  He was prancing and tossing his head, and plowed forward a few times.  I turned him around and walked back down the trail but the second time coming back he was even worst.  I was not feeling confident so I got off and led him back and worked him in the arena a little.  But there were a few other horses in the arena and I didn't even want to canter.  Sometimes I am a big chicken.  I was feeling discouraged, and thinking that even though I don't want to sell Cupid maybe I need to find a more confident rider to half lease him and jump and show him. 

Sunday was much better, the weather was beautiful and Cupid was back to his normal sweet self.  We did a little work in the outdoor arena then did the trails around the property again and Cupid was perfect.  We went down a trail that was pretty overgrown, Cupid had to go through with bushes brushing both his sides and it didn't faze him.  Afterwards I gave him a bath.  I noticed he is missing a chunk of his tail, I don't know if he has been rubbing or just caught it in something.  I put on some M-T-G.

Hi neighbor!