Spring stupids

Opie let his spring freak flag fly the day before our lesson last week. 

Things started off well, but then I got it in my head I could ask for more...as in, more than simple w/t/c. Could we add some collection? Some deeper bend? Some anything above First? 

The answer was no, not really. He finally said thanks but no thanks to leg yielding from the quarter line to the rail tracking right while maintaining straightness. He Noped himself up, down, and sideways until I finally got off to stick him on the longe where he ran himself into a sweaty mess. When I got back on,--with draw reins/safety reins--we were finally able to get our straight leg yield at the walk within a couple minutes.

It gave me a reason to give him a rinse, a fresh tail wash, and much needed mane wash so we'll call it a win. Fortunately this time around I've kept it in the back of my head that he's always satan in spring and it usually coincides with lack of hay consumption because he thinks the two shoots of spring grass count as a balanced diet. Which they do not. He's been on hay pellets for awhile now, but I ordered a box of ulcergard as well.

In our lesson, we went into the same leg yield that had sent Opie over the edge the day before. Right away he tried to use his neck as a weapon so we aborted mission to get that under control. You must be a straight horse. That means I must be a straight rider. Thus the basis for the rest of the ride.

Same old, same old--I lean too far right and can't pull my right shoulder back to save my life.

It was extremely frustrating as went around and around and around in both canter and trot trying to get my body sorted. What are my hands doing? Am I sitting up straight? Is my leg draped? Is my seat following? Are my elbows bent? Am I being even with my contact and not pulling on one rein or the other?

We finally took a little break where I expressed my frustration that I wasn't getting it. ALL of it. Right now. All at once. DL reminded me that this is years of bad habits we have to get sorted.

"You're very effective. You can do all the movements, but--"

"They're not being ridden correctly."

"Well....it's just that it's going to handicap you going up the levels if we don't get it right."

So trainer speak for yes, you're not riding them correctly. 

We really didn't end on a "good" note to say, but it is what it is. DL said if she could have me do one thing before the next lesson, it would be to stop falling off the right side of my horse.

The weekend got wasted by other things, but despite fresh snow and a high of 16* I got on to ride after doing the barn with that as my challenge.

I think it went well. I tried really fucking hard to focus on it. If it felt like I was falling off the left side I was probably barely right in the middle. My right shoulder felt like it was behaving, mostly because I was working my ass off to make it do so.

Basic w/t/c because I wanted to work on me. I had to make sure I was moving both arms and hands together or Opie got pissed and tight.

We finished by breaking down the TOH, which every time I do I unlock another tiny puzzle to making it correct. He steps wide behind, loses his balance, starts walking forward crooked AF, and then has to cross behind to not fall down. I made sure to get him to rein back slow, straight, not behind the vertical, and NOT wide behind. Then walk off slow and straight and not wide behind. If all that stayed on task the TOH was easy peasy. If any of that didn't go to plan, the hind legs crossed behind.