This Week in Horseville

I continue to feel super burnt out and discouraged.

But, I am leaving for a week of sunshine and R&R this weekend and after that I think I only work 3 days in the next 30. So...I am also feeling grateful.

I had a lesson on Audrey last night, and it went decently. We shared again with Ginger and her new owner (see, again I am so lucky...I get to pet that cute Ginny nose still whenever I like).

She's adorable, as always. Just as fuzzy IRL ;)

Audrey actually walked up to me and said hi when I got there...which NEVER happens because she's not really the friendly type. So, I felt quite flattered. Knowing her, though, she wasn't saying hi, more like "C'mon lady, you're late, it's lesson time, we have a job to do, hop to it!"

I was later sure it was the latter thought, because Shark Bite Audrey struck again. I learned it runs in the family, because when I called her Shark Bite within hearing of EC she laughed and said her full sister is nicknamed Snapping Turtle. LOL, they must be quite the family! You'll just have to trust me that Audrey is actually very sweet and kind underneath it all.

It's so dark so early. Here's an attempt at a post ride pic of Ms Audrey :)

Anyway, it was very cold out last night and Audrey was feeling quite tense, so a good part of my ride was just on a looser rein, pushing her into a contact, flexing her and encouraging her to lift her back and use her body.

All the same things I do with Bridget, but Audrey is great because I always know we will get there, where with B sometimes she never really lets go and I can get in my head a little about it and think that it was a 'bad' ride.

Look at this cute Bridget pic...it's from years ago now, but I like it and it's much better quality than the crappy cell phone ones I provide you.

So, while we didn't do anything super interesting, it was a good reminder that even the Audreys of the world sometimes need a long and low sort of day or a longer warmup to get in the groove. (also, that I am not completely inept... as mentioned, I think it is just a fact of life that A's default is to feel fantastically free, where B's default is to be stuck....just how it is and some days I am simply not going to get B feeling as loose as Audrey, doesn't mean it was a wasted or 'bad' ride, it just is what it is)

Crappy cellphone pic, redux. B and I doing the circle of death pole exercise last weekend.

Anyway, back to the lesson. The canter work was not as good as it has been, because the tension kept creeping back in, also she was super annoyed with my legs. I swear I wasn't nagging her, but I do think perhaps her being tense in her back was contributing in that I needed to be that much looser and giving to help her come round and I probably was not and she was reacting to that. I'd like to find a time to watch EC ride her again to get a visual of how she rides her.

The sun came out! B got to go out and eat grass this week.

We did, however, find some fantastic trot work...she's quite talented, but maybe(?) greener than you'd expect for the level, so she's only just properly carrying herself without the rider doing so much. I love that once you help her find that balance, she wants to go back to it and stay there...so cool. So, we practiced having 'gears' (no definition for them, just my imaginary feel of what they are) in the trot, and in my mind I think we made nice transitions between 1-3rd (so, a collected 'imagine she's on the spot' trot to a good medium trot), 4th gear I had to be careful not to let her speed up and lose balance, and so I didn't attempt the imaginary 5th gear giant extension I'm sure she has.

Because no weekly update is complete without a Sophie mention. I don't think Sophie will have the Audrey talent, but she's a pretty cool girl in her own right and I'm very excited to start riding her a little next summer. Sophie as a foal. Not sure I shared this one, the breeder sent it after she arrived and I think it got lost in all my new pony media :)

So, with that, I am leaving tomorrow for that much needed R&R. Fingers crossed this more laid back month (and some margaritas!) refresh my mindset and gives me some inspiration for the upcoming new year.

Bridget will be on vacation also, doing what she always does...eat and sleep...sometimes simultaneously. If someone wanted a picture that symbolizes everything Bridget, this is it.