Thursday, December 3, 2009

Exceptional!

I just had the best ride ever on my totally awesome mare! She's coming into heat, which makes it even more surprising - but we did it!

Did the mines, with the detour behind the pueblo house - 4.58 miles in 1:29. We had a very slow start! Once we got down in the canyon and turned the Magic Corner for home, I started really working on half-halts. I knew she wouldn't want to pay attention to me, so I didn't ask for any lateral stuff or let her speed up - she'd have really checked out mentally. Just move out, then slow down and collect up, then stretch back out and repeat. When we got up to the better footing, we picked up the pace. She'd speed up and slow down from the softest lightest cues from me. It was so cool! Felt like we were dancing, or like I was holding her hand.

I will say that it wasn't any kind of relaxed ground-covering trot. She'd go faster or slower, but she wasn't sure what gait she wanted so she kept bouncing between a trot, a rack, and a canter. Oh well - nothing's perfect, and it didn't spoil my ride at all.

I was going to meet S when she got home and go back out for another mile, but I just couldn't. Dixie had done so well, and I really wanted to end on a good note. I fed her an apple, cooled her off, and let her go back to dozing in the pasture.

7 comments:

  1. Now that I'm catching back up on your blog... :)

    Congrats on your ride! Dixie sure has progressed. And honestly, your Invisible Swordsman story cracked me up, especially since Three Amigos! is one of my fav movies! "GREAT! You've just killed the Invisible Swordsman!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMtM26UxKho

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  2. Wonderful - sound like a great ride!

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  3. Great blog. Please share this information with http://www.ihorsebook.com

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  4. Thanks, yall. Kat, she did get notably more nervous when we went past the Invisible Swordsman's hiding spot again!

    Leslie, please don't astroturf from my blog. I never do product reviews or endorsements, especially not from first-time visitors plugging their sites. I wish you the best of luck, but my site is not appropriate for this - I get almost no traffic and I'm happy about that.

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  5. You have come so far with her. Congrats on all your patience and hard work paying off. Here's to much more fun and continued improvement!

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