THAT Day

Every once in a while, Bridget has a need for speed. Usually in conjunction with a wish to buck me off.

I'm lucky in that Wild Racehorse Bridget only appears a couple of times a year. Once, around the first truly brisk day of fall, and usually again on the first day that hints of spring.

The "spring" one is the one that usually causes havoc. The last two years in April, we've trailered to the interior of the province where spring and sunshine seem to be at the ready a lot more dramatically than our coastal change of seasons. And, our little trip is for a XC clinic. Cue three days of Bridget bucking me off in new and innovative ways. Last year, she learned both the Bucking While Galloping Downhill and Bucking Immediately After A Drop Fence techniques. Also, we revisited the Gallop To A Sliding Stop, Buck, And Spin move from the year before. So fun for my not so sticky self.

Yesterday, the sun was shining outside and I had a nasty headache from stress and staring at my computer screen, so I decided to play hooky for the afternoon and head out for a ride. While the bright sunshine stabbing my eyes maybe wasn't quite the thing for my headache, my stress levels instantly decreased.

A quick scroll through my barn pictures confirmed I hadn't ridden in anything but dark or rain/snow/fog since the beginning of NOVEMBER. No wonder I'm so pale! (No wonder the sunlight was burning my eyes, lol)

B must have felt the same way, and been excited to get out on a relatively warm sunny day because Spring Wild Racehorse made an appearance.

Unsuspecting me was all: "Bridget we need to school more renvers/travers to make your canter better. EC said so."

I call this the twisty head llama trot. You don't see it often because the degree of difficulty is quite special :)

B: "I do not need to work on this. I bolt like a llama. I do not canter anymore"
Me: "No, remember our lesson. EC is backing me on this, you need to build strength to sit. And, the llama thing is super uncool too!"
B: "Fine"
Me: "And now we switch the bend.."
B: "Never mind. This is stupid." *Kicks at my leg, bucks, squeals, attempts to llama bolt*
Other riders in the arena: "Oh hey...we're just going to walk over there. We're leaving soon" (Code for "please please keep a lid on your pony for the next five minutes or until we are a safe distance away")
B: "HA! Those horses are scared of my awesomeness! I am the BEST!"
Me: Oh, please. Did no one tell you you're just an evil pony? Get back to work."
B: "JUST an evil pony?!" *Bucks, squeals again*
Other riders: "OK...we're leaving now! Have fun!"

LOL, and that's the story of how I gave up on dressage schooling turned the ride into a XC gallop practice/ cardio fitness ride. And yes, there were a lot more attempted shenanigans, but I didn't fall off*

EC: "I want you to really work on getting her rounder and more collected" Ummm, I'm guessing this isn't what she had in mind, lol

*Yet. We have a two hour group trail ride scheduled Saturday. Wish me luck.

On the plus side, Bridget the Groundhog has declared spring is very early this year!