Somewhat demoralized

Tough ride today with Colonel. Alyssa was in the arena with Luca so Colonel and I worked out in the jumping arena. We use the term "arena" pretty loosely sometimes. Its a small field with some jumps in it so that makes it an arena. Robert spread some manure in there so I used the path of the tractor as my rail to follow. Colonel was annoying, and really pulling on me a lot but I got him simmered down to the point where he was tolerable. I thought I'd stop there so I turned to take him across the culvert for our cool down walk. I don't know what I keep thinking that drives me to try to cool out in the field. I'm just so used to it with Star and Papillon. One lap around the field at a walk and I declare them cooled out.

Colonel was mostly good for about 3/4 of the way. We had a little fight about whether or not the goat in the next field was, in fact, the devil. It was kindof an agree to disagree ending on that one, but we walked away from the goat so that was a decent compromise. Colonel splashed through the water in his usual manner and actually walked down the long side of the field towards the barn. Turning towards the culvert, however, Colonel decided we needed to trot that part. We had a pretty substantial fight about this. I wound up taking him to the dressage arena (again not really an arena proper, it didn't even have the rope up around it today) to work him some more. I wanted to work him until he had a somewhat reliable trot but I wound up settling for a few strides of reasonable trotting and a really shitty downward transition.

Walking back towards the culvert he wasn't especially improved but I really wanted to be done so we inched our way over there, walk a stride or two, unauthorized trot, punative/corrective STOP, walk (or trot) depart, repeat. When we finally get to the culvert he actually does walk across it rather than bolt. Pat on the back for me, he actually retained something I tried to teach him.

We walked back to the arena, and I got off him and just stood around for a while. I didn't feel like giving him the satisfaction of going straight back to the barn. Colonel was displeased with the waiting around but he knew better than to fight me on the ground, especially when he'd put me in such a bad mood.

The worst part is that I'm not sure what he learned from today's lesson. I think we made some progress on the pulling front. Maybe he even started to figure out that I'll let him go home if, and only if, he walks. Maybe thats hoping for too much. Maybe all he learned is that going out in the field is stressful and to be avoided. Maybe he experienced going out in the field as a punishment for his performance in the jumping arena. I hope not.

After lunch I took Star out in a halter again. Maybe this makes me an excessively touchy feely rider but it upsets me when Star is hard to catch. I feel like I must be doing something horrible to her to make her fuss like she does. I'll get over it.

We walked around in the arena in her halter. She walked very nicely on auto-pilot along the rail while I wove the ends of the lead ropes into a nice little wreath so they wouldn't dangle and bump her sides. She did some really nice trotting. She relaxed her back and neck and it was really smooth and comfy. Whenever something happened and the two of us got tense, I just repeated my new incantation to myself, "Relax your shoulders and tip your chair."

Robert has this way of explaining a proper dressage seat as like sitting on the edge of a chair and then tipping it forward so your pelvis is above your feet. As for the shoulders bit, I think I must have been a turtle in a past life because whenever anything startling happens my head goes down and my shoulders go up.

Anyway, when I went back to sitting correctly Star went back to moving correctly. It was nice. It also leads me to believe that the dressage saddle must be pinching her because I don't get this effect when we're riding with a saddle.

We are definitely going back to a bit though. Star discovered today that she is much stronger than me and without the bit she doesn't feel any particular need to yield to pressure if its at all inconvenient. She did, however, agree that it was supper annoying when I rattled the snap on the lead rope, so I did eventually get my way, but its not a subtle way to do things, and I prefer subtle.

It was rather embarassing to find Alyssa and Niki behind us while Star was refusing to cross the culvert. She went over eventually and Niki followed polite as can be. Alyssa was pleased with herself, which is fair, it was good work. I must point out though that Star probably would have gone across just fine too if another horse had gone first. This is why I like to go first, its a better test of where they are, confidence and obedience-wise. I was going to go around the field but she crossed the culvert so I decided that in a halter that was good enough, and when we switch back to a bridle then I'll be a little more demanding.

I took Papillon out for her first ride of the season. Boy was she shedding. I spent at least 20 minutes getting hair off her. I could have spent longer but I got bored, plus it was nearly feeding time.

She was decent in the arena. Pissed, as always, that we weren't going faster. She is a smooth enough ride that it doesn't bother me too much. We went outside to attempt to walk around the field. Instead we did our traditional trowalk. Its amazing how different her unauthorized trot is from Colonels. Her departs are powerful but smooth and confortable, her motivation is neither fear nor malice. She just trots for the sheer joy of forward motion. Plus its all so smooth. I know this speaks poorly of me as a horsewoman, but sometimes the only way I know she's started trotting is from the sound of her hoofbeats. If I thought she would keep that pace I would let her trot around all she wanted, but Papillon only accelerates. Its just her way.

It was a nice end to a day of lovely weather.