Wrapping Up 2010

Well the end of the season has come and gone. It's bittersweet because I have more time, but it's a tough time of year to stay motivated. I've been so busy at work and I know I need to keep moving forward with Hobbs and Legacy, but I kind of just want to rest. They both had off enough time this summer that they don't need down time, but I do :). It's also tough because I want to keep riding while the weather is somewhat decent...ugh, I HATE winter.

I had a lesson with Danny yesterday on Hobbs and Legacy and it helped to motivate me a bit. Legacy was really good. We worked on getting him to jump better and teaching him to stand off the jump and use his shoulders. He's never been very good because he doesn't have to try very hard at Training level. Now that I have him honest again, it's time to work on the details of jumping. Danny said there's basically 2 things a rider could do with a horse like Legacy....1) completely throw the reins away into the jumps to let him wear a few so he learns to stand off or 2) hold him tight on the way to the jump and just let him pat the ground...aka WAIT! So I've been helping and holding him for so many years, I'm not ready as a rider to just throw the reins away. So we worked on a single vertical on a circle. I want to focus on a longer more powerful stride since that's where he tends to jump flat. So I would get that canter and then out of the turn I would bump him up and balance him and then I would hold against him, sit up straight and wait for the jump. I could really feel the difference when I did it right. It basically boils down to I need to do less and let Legacy learn a few things on his own. I can't give him a reason to quit and blame me. I rode the same exercise again today and it went really well. I just have to make sure that when I hold against him, he doesn't get stronger and it doesn't spiral out of control. I'm going to ride like this for the next month and then hopefully I can back off and let go a bit and he will learn to stand off the jumps on his own.

Then we went to Hobbs. I told him about the Rubicon Rodeo and we decided the best thing was for us to work in the roundpen. It was a great decision. I know Hobbs can jump, so the main problem is to fix his mental meltdowns. Seth and I had been working him in the roundpen doing Dave Webber's exercises, but Danny had some slight variations that make more sense for Hobbs. Danny's main focus was desensitizing him and clarifying the type of energy being used (which was really an aha moment for me). He put him on the halter and lead and just tried to rub and flick the whip all over him...Hobbs was really nervous at first, but then working through it he started to settle. He worked on that for awhile and we realized that he was much worsed on the left side for some reason. Then I got on and was just bumping him with my legs and almost petting him all over...meanwhile getting him to stand still. He is a very nervous horse and I think if we can get him desensitized I will have a plan for when he meltsdown. Danny was saying if I get a routine I can just do that at a show as soon as I get him off the truck so that I completely desensitize him and he's mentally stronger. My plan is to work him in the roundpen for the next month and see where he's at. I worked him today and he was much better than yesterday...of course I think being in a new environment also adds stress, so perhaps we'll have to find another venue to test him mid-December.

It was a solid end to the season. Danny is headed off to Texas for the winter, so we won't have any lessons until the end of January unless a dressage lesson comes up. I've got to power through and keep next season in mind. It's hard to get excited after what happened last year and I think that's playing into my mood. Even though I have a new horse that is completely different and honest, I'm still weary of having plans of grandeur. As Seth would say, my pessimism is showing through :).