Think Totilas & Death. On a Circle.

Or also known as the 'circle of death' but it seems to up the intimidation factor a few points when I would say, "Death. On a Circle".  *insert creepy music*


I decided to splice my last ride into two posts seeing as the subjects were completely different and somehow a small recap of each didn't seem right together.
As we know Paloma was working on 1.5 horsepower that night rather than the solid 0.75 horsepower that she normally exhibits. What better time to challenge the circle of death, right?

Based on the size of our indoor and having to share it with others, Mish-mosh and I decided to set two ground poles just to the inside of the track at B and E and two airy verticals at A and C.
It was set on a 30M ummm... oval, let's call it, because our arena size is very wonky. Rather than making it easier as it would seem, the oval seemed to make it trickier.
For instance, coming from B to C or E to A, which ever, the oval seemed to allow for a small drift and if you didn't really keep this in check it was easy for the outside shoulder to pop and fall out.

I began this exercise in trot as a double bonus of working on my trot fences/body quietness and then kept the canter on landing. Adding one element at a time so as to not overwhelm and I could get a good feel of where we were today.
When we have done this exercise before it was not overly difficult to keep Paloma packaged because she would much rather bounce up and down in her 'box' than reach forward. An opposite problem in its own right. Tonight though, I was pretty sure I legged up the wrong horse.
Thunder? Is that you? (Pick distance, go! ...Remember rider on other side of fence)

Paloma has been gaining confidence over fences since we began eventing last year, to the point where she is picking her distances and taking them straight away rather than waiting for direction.
I repeat, Thunder? Is that you?

Confidence is good, yes, but over confidence combined with the extra energy she was exuding and death on a circle...eh.... recipe for trouble.
However! This is what Paloma does to me on cross! Takes me for a ride, literally. So in a way it was the perfect situation to work on developing 'fixes' for re-establishing pony brain and rider un-death.


My general way of learning is testing random tid-bits and examining results.

After much controlled experimenting, a semi-solution of taking up three point and half halting, which I can tell you does NOT work on cross, my only true solution seemed to be thinking Totilas. ie thinking canter pirouettes but getting canter voltes.

It may sound backwards but the 'reset' button seemed to be in asking for something hard, (for Paloma), but something familiar. Canter voltes. Though I picture Totilas and Edward Gal every time, ha.

One canter volte, bam, rebalanced brain and body!


So up until recently I had been told that Paloma was long backed, which is why I always thought that using more haunches was very hard for her. News flash, apparently she is not long, she can sit, she can sit real good.
I just need to ride the haunches, not the wither. Score 1 for equine, -999 for rider. (Not a news flash!)


Somewhere here, though not clear to me yet, I am thinking there is a connection between engaged haunches and engaged brain. Hmm.