So Many Changes

This is what Bridget normally thinks of dressage

Big change #1: Bridget! I had my lesson last night and was pretty tired from work. I rode for a bit and warmed her up and she was a star - totally on my aids, there waiting when I asked for something, and she just generally felt supple and loose. S took pity on me and rode the remaining half of our lesson time and I just sat there watching with a big silly grin on my face. For the first time, I can really see what a nice ride Bridget is becoming/could be. S makes everything she rides look good, but still...pony was really wanting to work and giving 110% effort. She was soft, her little trot was swinging through from behind, she was steady in the contact  and she just generally looked relaxed and happy in her work. S had a big silly grin on her face too - she hasn't ridden B for a couple of months now and couldn't get over the difference. She commented "You're going to have a really nice horse! Look at her! This is all your hard work showing." Which of course totally made my day and earned her my eternal loyalty :) Seriously though, I have no idea what changed, but in the past month or so all that tension she used to carry through her neck and back is melting away. I never need to nag for forward (or anything) in fact. The vast majority of the time she shows up ready to work. It's a night and day difference from the pony I was riding this past fall and winter, who just felt inverted and stuck behind the leg and resentful of arena work the majority of the time. Not to mention the serious problem she had with any sort of contact! Since I was planning on only trail riding her, I thought worse case scenario I'd just ride her in a rope halter. Of course, me being me, I got ambitious about actually training her and changed her bit and had her teeth done. Really though, I think it must have been residual from some bad experience or training - it's almost like she just had to build some trust and learn I'm not going to pull on her because she's just got gradually better and better to where I was watching her yesterday in a bit of shock at how the evasions have disappeared!

Random. Because I was so excited and in the moment watching S ride, I didn't even think to take some pics

Big change #2: I took that job that's a ferry ride/ 2hr commute away from me. It's the perfect job for me, in my actual techie field and with a local municipality. With work anywhere in our area being so hard to find, I'm pretty excited to have found something so close to home that also lets me advance my career. For now, I am going to live there during the week and commute home on the weekends. We'll give that plan a month or two and if I like it there enough, we'll start making some long term plans to relocate there entirely. We will still be close enough to G's elderly parents that he'll be able to make the move eventually too. So it's all very exciting! As far as the horses go, for now they stay put and I'll be home on the weekends to ride. I will be looking for good boarding and coaching options and bring Bridget with me if the right situation comes up. I'm hopeful it will because there are some excellent eventing coaches in the area and a really good local show series. The plan at the moment is to buy something there once I'm sure the job is a good fit - so we are back to the buy a small farm or buy a better house and board the horses debate...just when we thought we had it all settled! :)

Random of Ginger looking very pretty. Probably the last time I rode her which was almost a month ago! I'm a bad owner :)