Gone Solo.: About ME Monday... Or Not?

Solo clearly wishes to sleep in today. Forelock the equivalent to pillow over face?

I woke up Monday morning, checked the weather as my coffee slowly brewed. Not a chance I am leaving the house without the nectar of the gods!

I was almost shocked when I saw the temperature sitting at 9*c.... Is it still August right? True to being used to 20's and 30's, I threw on a long sleeved T, sweater and a puffer vest. Yes, I am a wosey when it comes to going from Summer to Winter.

Luckily, the rain had held off for the last few days and despite the dewy grass ring we were able to get outside for maybe the fifth time this summer! ...Minus hacks.

I had read a couple articles Sunday about rider body positioning and function and now that Solo is at a point where I can reliably say that he is safe to ride I wanted to work on me.

While Paloma was sensitive to aids because she knew I wasn't asking, Solo is sensitive because it is his personality and I need to make sure I am using my body in the correct ways to affect him positively and not overly and also to find a more secure seat. Mind you he isn't naughty, but being sensitive combined with inexperience, the forward or halt can come unexpectedly when I make a mistake or give too much aid.

The two exercises I chose to work on were;

-1. Develop a more secure seat by weighting in your thigh not only your seat

AND

-2. Work more on 'jumping' in my body with the canter strides rather than trying to absorb Solo's bounce and flow along with him. Like sitting trot.

Exercise #1 - This exercise involved rotating your thigh slightly inwards at the front and not gripping but imagining the weight falling into your thighs not just the seat or your stirrup.

I felt the burn on this one! However, it actually worked much better and I found Solo to be more free and forward. At many points when I remembered to notice what he was doing, it felt like floating, Solo was over tracking and really opening up his shoulder and back, stretching down into the contact without asking. Could have been REALLY nice if he was carrying more behind but that is a few years out yet, baby steps, Lol.

I also felt that I could catch myself more effectively in the event that he did make a jerky move.

Exercise #2- Well... as horses go and we all know, I didn't really get to work on this much. Though, the moments I did, made a remarkable difference. I have learned that P didn't have a ton of jump in her canter so this is likely where my following, sitting position came from which does NOT work for So.

Solo had his mind on other things. Maybe it was because I had changed something with exercise #1 and he was worried but I spent much of the ride quietly bringing him back as he would break into a quiet lopey canter, or coming back to a walk or halt to 'show' and remind him that he can move his haunches over and back in line with his body rather than going all wiggly. So would get frustrated but bringing him back seemed to give him more 'brain time' to figure out what I wanted and where to put his body.

Thinking about it, it ended up being a really good ride. Yes, Solo gets frazzled pretty easily with simple things but they really are not that simple for a baby brain and he is trying! Plus, his tantrums are merely being a bit more forward or getting busy with his mouth, typical young horse things.

Right now, he sees black and white, with no grey. I compare it to seeing the answer to a math question with no supporting solution.

Now THAT is frustrating stuff!

Next ride, exercise #2, or not...