Saturday Ease of Handling

So, one of the things I noticed two weekends ago, is that thinking about riding the dressage test no longer feels overwhelming. I have practiced the movements (without stringing them together cuz really smart horse who tries to overachieve) of the test, but we also school more complicated things like leg yield to half-pass and shoulder in to haunches in on the same line, leg yields at the canter. Those things are still hard for me to ride correctly, but the thing that has changed is that I no longer feel overwhelmed by the idea of riding four circles and four canter-walk-canter transitions at the end of a six minute test.

I am no longer feeling stressed by the actual movements.

That is a huge leap for me and may be a contributing factor in lowering my overall anxiety.

Ease of Handling, on the other hand, really doesn't make me feel anxious. We understand the obstacles. Ashke knows what is expected and really the only question is the line between obstacles. I feel like sometime this year, the lines have become very clear to me in my ride. Amanda and I talk about alternative lines or approaches, based on our evaluation during the course walk, but sometimes what it feels like on your two feet and doing it at the canter changes your approach during the ride. Best laid plans and all that.

The other thing I think about when riding a course is where might he get a little squirrely, suck back behind my leg, or perhaps give me an abrupt stop. He still remembers the spiky plants at the opening of the livestock pen, which were right next to the gate at Expo two years ago. They are sharp on the ends and poked his shins while we were trying to execute the gate. He remembers and gives them a hard look and extra room when they are a decoration.

I was super proud of him when he stood without moving for me to remount. I patted his neck before picking up the bag to let him know it wasn't his fault. The barrel we were using was upside down and the burlap was super slick. I had just let go when I saw it slide. He was a trooper though. Once again, insisting he stand paid off. I am also very impressed with his jump. This isn't something we practice very much (although Amanda said we do need to work on my release because I am hitting him in the mouth) but he tucked his legs up and went over every time we faced a jump this weekend. It seems much easier since Dr K has been working on both the SI and right hip issue in our chiropractic work.

For the record, it hit 97 by about noon. It was hot and there were no clouds. I did a minimal warm up in the indoor before our ride, mostly working him on turning from my legs and got him to sit down and think about the double slalom pattern prior to going into the arena. It is a fine line between getting him supple and able to move vs too damn tired to ride. We are still fine tuning it. I also listened to Saiph and drank water exclusively during the day. I did use my inhaler an hour or so before the dressage test and again at lunch, mostly because of the humidity. The second time I use it, I feel a little sick to my stomach and nauseous, but it fades after about 20 minutes and it certainly helps with the ride. We also used the hose to spray off Ashke and myself after dressage and then again after the EOH but before speed. That seemed to help.

So, without further ado: