Nobody Panic

OK, good news, my horse isn't permanently an anxious rage monster that's resistant to life and everything being asked of him under saddle. 

I mean, we've had one whole ride where things were super casual and relaxed so I guess you could say he's totes fixed. 

soft, happy, foamy lips

Normally I wouldn't ride the day after a show, but the way things were set up over the past week and the tense shit show I was sitting on while "huntering", it felt like it needed to happen. And I'm so glad I got on again. I pulled out our dressage tack, spent fifty hours grooming beforehand, and headed to the outdoor for a bare bones flat ride. 

He's really come a long way in the steadiness in the connection--when he's relaxed. This ride reiterated how much his tension comes out in his mouth and the bobbing up and down off the contact. When he's relaxed, he's metronome. I'm not sure where to go with that because I can't just w/t/c without asking one single other thing for the rest of his life. The work gets harder, the questions get more complex, he's got to work with me a little bit on the not building and building until we're throwing Bobby tantrums around. 

bobby level posing

We did accomplish some counter canter serpentines both directions that didn't involve ridiculous theatrics for the first time in eternity. We finished on those after about a twenty minute ride.

I decided to bite the bullet and do a month of lessons with BM--one a week. I want her to work both of us hard on the basics. More push, more connection, more forward and suppleness in the lateral work. I'll also have the chiro out as soon as he's available.

I have the funds set aside for those two things, and then I'm maybe going to reach out to a local-ish dressage pro about bi-weekly lessons. I have to work myself up to that. And hope that she's not too expensive. And that she's still down with trailer-ins. 

The barn is under construction all week so no riding unless I go back in the evening. We'll see what my motivation level is.