Chicken or the Egg...

 

 

This weekend was a welcome break to the harsh cold that has returned once again today. I got two pretty decent rides in which was nice and the weather didn't seem to fully dictate ride quality. Fully.

 

Friday, I power walked to the barn. The temperature was so darn nice I couldn't help but want to enjoy it. Despite being slightly terrified that cougars were going to chomp on me at any moment. Honestly. Why oh why did a certain someone have to tell me that we have cougars in our area. You know who you are lol.

Flatwork was on the agenda for the night since the arena was lovely powdery.

I have been working my way through the exercises in my new favourite dressage workbook. (Book review later). The one I had picked for today was a spiral canter exercise. I have used variations of this exercise but with no where near as great results. The exercise consisted of picking up a working canter, coming onto a 20m circle and spiraling in. Making sure not to lose the energy or pace, keeping a solid outside rein for support and giving and taking on the inside rein to create better self carriage. Once we slowly met the center of the circle, making 3-4 canter voltes, concentrating on keeping the energy and the give and take with the inside rein. Finally, slowly spiraling out and as the circle gets larger, let the reins out to encourage stretching down.

This exercise was great for Paloma since she takes awhile to really loosen up in the canter.

Left was a little trickier but right was wonderful and worked like a charm.

 

 

 

Saturday was gymnastic day. This is the part where I am stumped about the chicken and egg.

I set the above gym, fives bounces, x-vertical-pole-vertical-x. Bounces as I have said before are hugely beneficial for both Pal and I, but I hate them!

I am honestly not sure whether my hate-on for bounces started ...before I purchased Pal or after?

I can't remember bounces ever bothering me before but I also remember facing a pony at 4' fences as a kid and thinking nothing of it. Yeah, not so much now.

Now, when I look down a line of bounces, despite one being a pole and all fences being low, I cringe a little.

I started off slowly with one side of each vertical dropped so Pal can warm up and get the idea of where her feet are. That posed no issue. Easy peasy. I then popped the verticals back up and had a slight wimp out the first time through where I took my leg off at the base of the first x and Pal managed her expert stop in the middle of the bounce between x and the first vertical.

She got a growl since I want to teach her to go even if a kiddy doesn't give enough leg in future but really it was mostly my fault.

We came again. I focused on keeping my eyes up and leg on. We got through it all. Though a little crooked. That was quickly corrected with another attempt with more leg, the left is our nemesis.

 

Changing directions, to the right posed no issue, straight, forward and confident. Pro-skey Pal.

We plan to practice this exercise with Mish-mosh this week again. Let's hope we can conquer bounce-phobia.

 

 

Clean up crew.
Pal knocked the poles down with her nose and I picked them up.
Crappy deal on my end.