Tales of 'Sproing'.

You know those days when you notice a little extra sparkle in your horses eye or when you mount up, give a gentle nudge for a walk and your horse releases a NOS fart can and you end up scrambling for your reins wondering where the hell this energetic beast came from.

Yeah, well that was today for me. Mind you it was a welcome experience because this is when Paloma and I get our most productive days in. This random energy build up she occasionally has is wonderful and always leaves me wanting.

The only way I can describe it is by saying it feels like Paloma's body, stemming from her hooves, is a coiled up spring begging to release the pressure. Every stride she takes feels like we are on a controlled trampoline. I have labeled this 'sproing'.

I heart 'sproing'!

Five AM arrived way... too early this morning. I have this really exhausting habit lately of waking up every hour, on the hour, starting at 2AM before my 5AM alarm sounds,  *sigh*.

I trudged out of the house and received a pretty rude awakening by the 5*c temps. Really? Why? It is June!

Paloma seemed to feel the same way about the early hour and took one look at me before resorting back to napping.

Walking to the barn, Pal seemed a bit looky, that was my warning right there. I likely should have paid it more attention.

I set a simple exercise of seven trot poles, spaced at 5ft rather than our norm of 4.5ft to accentuate our goal of stretch today.

Mounting up, Pal was a little racer jiggy but I quickly shrugged it off since Pal gets like this when the bugs are out in full swing.

As soon as she felt my butt touch the saddle we were off. Now THAT is truly a rude awakening.

Our stint didn't last long though, which it never does with Paloma. She typically has one small naughty burst and then goes about her business like the princess she deems herself to be. 

More awake now, we got down to business with a nice long walk warm up, working on one of my new favorite lateral exercises, either in walk or trot, where you ask for a shoulder-fore through your corner, on the exiting corner add outside leg to create a half pass across diagonal, 10m circle at X, continue across diagonal or the other variation where you change bend exiting the corner and leg yield, change bend and circle at x, change bend and continue. Me, being sure to incorporate my seat into the exercise. Ie, weight on outside hip, ask for the lateral movement, once movement begins, center weight, continue.

This exercise does wonders for Pal's flexibility and makes me more conscious of how my body affects Pal. Coupled with today's 'sproing' the exercise which is normally a bit tough for Pal was simple and felt exhilarating.

Even our simple series of trot poles left me with a smile...

To non horse people this seems a bit odd but I am thinking my fellow riders can relate to my excitement over 'feeling' real suspension in each stride.

I truly can no longer knock why some very good jumper/hunter riders take to dressage. It is dancing!