EC Lesson Recap: Audrey 11/14/2017

Backstory possibly needed if you're not a frequent reader: I'm still working on the lower coast 2 to 3 days a week. While I'm there, I'm taking a lesson once a week on my coach's showing third level/GP prospect baby. Bridget has moved home with me, and I'm trying to take what I learn and apply it back on her for the remainder of the week.

We're making slow progress! Last night, rather than hating on me/my riding, Ms Audrey opted to just "tell mom" on me, annoying person that I am :)

Obligatory dark and blurry wash rack pic

If I had any sort of ego/pride in my riding abilities, these would be tough lessons - I feel like I need to learn to ride all over again, and Audrey agrees with that assessment and is not shy about letting me know how badly I stink at this riding thing. Since I simply want to improve, I'm luckily just frustrated in the why-will-my-body-not-obey-my-brain sort of way.

Highlights: some really nice walk-canter-walk transitions. She's A LOT more sensitive and fussy than B, so I know I was getting it right.

Lowlights: 15m canter circles that featured a lead change more often than not. Yours truly apparently weights my outside seatbone now and then on a canter circle. I think I was doing this in an attempt to block her outside shoulder which falls out on the left, and she took that to mean I wanted a change. Also, I am sitting up and taking the reins back towards my body a little as I turn, really confirming to her that I might want to collect and possibly a lead change is coming. We finished with on a good note, but I have a lot of work to do.

Meh: I'm still getting a feel for where she needs to be between my aids. She's a REALLY supple, wiggly, big moving mare, and it's hard right now for me to feel what a working trot or even walk should be on her. Luckily, I'm OK with keeping her straight thanks to B's wiggly ways, but I'm tending to add in too much power and verging closer to medium gaits. She needs only 50% throttle where what I'm used to might need 80% encouragement to sit and get those hind legs under :)

One of these things is not like the other, lol

So, I feel a bit like I'm learning to ride all over again. There are moments where I'm not staying with her, moments where my body is just in the wrong place, moments where I'm intimidated by her big reactions to my little movements. but, most of all, I'm excited for this opportunity to ride her. She's fantastically talented, but not easy and not everyone's cup of tea. As I've said before here though, my life goals = learning to ride a horse like this well. That can't happen if I don't try to learn how! Luckily, at heart she's a very forgiving mare, and even though she has a lot of opinions about a lot of things, I think this is a partnership that might work...eventually ;)