The canter

We finally got to touch on the canter in our lesson Friday. I think DL eventually just gave up on trying to get me to ride correct geometry in the trot for our first outdoor/standard dressage court ride of the season--one of which I have not been in since last September.

hello, i do not remember what all these letters mean

I was glad we were finally able to show this off a bit. We're there to fill holes and learn, but we do know some things and I haven't really felt like we've gotten to show any of it. The canter got much praise, and all she really wanted me to change was sitting deeper in my seat and pushing my hands forward. Of course as soon as I did that I felt my abs engage and his shoulders come up and tah dah we were really cooking. 

His walk to canters and canter to walks were both perfect, and we wrapped that up by her saying the canter was going to fix everything about the trot.

Saturday morning I rode again, and again I felt like I was really nailing the canter. So much so that I asked him for a change his easy way. He promptly bolted through it and to get a pulley rein and run into the wall before I got him back under control.

So. Good to see those aren't actually any better.

::facepalm::

Maybe it was just because he was in the double?

We were able to finish with more good canter, and then his sitting trot was ahhh-mazing. I pushed my hands out where they belong, got my wrists under control, and yet still had soft contact and a soft horse. It was two laps of perfection so I quit there and offered him up to M after promising her I would let her ride him like six months ago.

Opie easily impresses people coming off the lesson horses. He does amazing things like stands quietly at the mounting block and moves forward when you put your leg on. Everything else is just a fancy bonus. 

He worked his nuts off tho for the both of us and got some quality time with the massage gun when he was done followed by the next day off.

Monday he got his feet done first thing--snow pads off, new steel on. He's never had a problem after the farrier so I tacked him planning on a quick stretchy ride. Instead, as soon as we picked up the trot, he felt...not quite right. Definitely in no way lame, but kind of mincy and footy. I called Farrier in and had her take a look. She agreed if she had to pinpoint it LF. I got off and stuck him on the longe where BM watched too and said she thought maybe RH. But all parties were in agreeance--not lame, just not right.

Fortunately for him he had a PEMF appointment that afternoon, and he got a gram of bute with his dinner.

The next day's ride was inconclusive.

He felt great starting out w/t. Best of all, I felt great! I was like, "Look at these hands! They're together! The wrists are straight! The contact is following! I know what sitting up is!" 

Then we cantered and it. felt. disgusting. I tried leg yielding, circling, transitions--none of it worked so back to trot and some haunches out on a circle to getting him stepping under himself. Canter was marginally better after that. I got him softer so each footfall wasn't rattling my teeth, but that was pretty much the highlight.

When we came back to the walk he felt stabby on the LF again.

Stretchy trot cool out he felt amazing. And I figured out how to control my right shoulder which was the best feeling ever!

I packed his feet because it made me feel better and gave him today off so we'll see what tomorrow brings.