May?????

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!! It can't be May...the weather is terrible today. Thank goodness Seth's show was yesterday because it would've been miserable today...45° and very windy...blah. We had a nice mother's day brunch today and then I napped (that is the first in a long time). I finally got motivated to ride and I was going to jump, but the wind seriously would've blown down the standards...that would've been an interesting twist. Anyway, I did some flat work and he was great. His canter work was really good...I find that if I work counter canter for a few circles each direction and really get him soft and supple, his canter gets so much more balanced. He's also getting so much better with transitions within the gaits. His lengthened canter still isn't where it needs to be because he's still not using his hind end enough, but I'm able to get him more collected on the downward transition which is a step in the right direction. I worked a bit on the sitting trot again, it's getting there...I'm starting to feel it and allowing him to move forward. Making him go a little lower and deeper really helps to get him to lift his back and make the trot more comfortable. I just have to keep training him that anytime he gets tense that no matter what cue I give him, leg, hands, seat, he lowers his head and rounds his back. It was definitely a positive ride considering the conditions and I'm feeling confident. I need a few jump schools this week and we should be good to go...I was telling Seth today that I'm nervous, but I don't know what else I could do to be more prepared...I have to keep telling myself that all week ;). Tonight when we came in the cutest cat in the world, Legend, had made an igloo from our comforter. She's just like her Mommy, cold all the time...I'm definitely not one of those people that pretend it's summer when it's 45° out. I saw someone in shorts today...umm, I rode in a winter coat and hat...and I wasn't hot. Seth thinks I should just keep my summer clothes in the basement...whatever he's just jealous because he wants more closet space :).

~Kelly