Lessony snicket

Ken and I had a great lesson last night. It works out very well when the timing is right. We’ve switched to Wednesday evening lessons so I can have both weekend days free to trail ride. When Ken can get to the barn by 6:00, he rides first for half an hour, and by the time I ride Champagne is all warmed up and moving nicely.

Ken is coming along very well. He has pretty much mastered the rising trot, and is beginning to work on his half seat. He is a fairly decent skier and I find that riding the half seat is a lot like skiing: you take the bouncing terrain using your ankle, knees and hips as shock absorbers while your upper body stays pretty quiet. Half seat is strenuous, but it is a lot of fun. Of course it would be easier on a forward seat saddle, but we can both manage in my dressage saddle.

He also wants to begin to canter so that when we have our dude ranch vacation this fall he’ll be able to join the canter rides. I think it is a bit early for him to do this, and in fact he nearly came off last night while Champagne cantered on the lunge line. I think he pulled a groin muscle and felt a sharp pain. He will have to work hard on softening in order to sit a canter.

When I mounted, Champagne was quite ready to walk forward with energy, and we trotted almost right away because he was warm. Lately we’ve been working on transitions. In this case, transitions between a big, energetic trot, and a teeny jog-trot. Last night Cath was teaching me to ask for the small trot by changing my posting . . . rhythm? Stiffness? . . . something to do with my seat that Champagne is supposed to learn to read and respond to. Since I’m not clear about what it is, it isn’t surprising that it didn’t go that well.

We also did a lot of work trotting on the buckle. Champagne puts his nose almost to the ground and gives a big swinging trot that is sooooo fun to ride. I just sit there (well, post) and I could hold both arms out like wings, flying through the air. I just hold the buckle enough to keep the reins from slipping down his neck. When he does that his back rises up under me, and it is a whole other feeling from the hammocky shape I’m used to.

Then we cantered, going for a huge canter down the long side. That was probably the fastest I’ve ever ridden him, not asking for collection, just asking for speed. Oh my, that’s fun too, but I still find that my feet slip forward in the stirrups. My heels don’t stay reliably down at that pace even though I’m doing better on that in the other gaits. Plus I have to learn to keep my hands really quiet when asking for the canter. Cath says the half-halt can be as subtle as just closing my hand on the outside rein.

I am well pleased with my shiny, shed-out, energetic horse.