I think the next few rides will be devoted to looking at my position, hardcore.

We plowed with Luca, and that went reasonably well. I was the only one who didn't end up falling, besides Luca. I try to store up all my nimbleness for moments such as those, which explains why sometimes I can't walk a straight line.

I rode Keno pony. We used the outdoor dressage arena because it was great weather and I really would like to be able to school outside. My plan for the day was to work on long and low, since I think we've been getting too far away from that. He was upset because Reno was in the back forty, Star was in the big indoor getting her butt kicked, and Xsarena was in the crossties. Life was very very distracting.

We got our trot together pretty well. He gets mad when he tries going somewhere I've told him not to. It's self-punishing, because I try to keep him on the level bits, so the hilly parts upset him. But predictably he blames me. We moved onto his canter.

His canter is so great. I just sit there and we move and it's smooth and wonderful and I still can't get over it. Left rein. We haven't had lead issues the last two rides and it's just fabulous. Except, of course, he's incredibly downhill. I'm not a really sensitive rider, but I could feel how dropped his neck and shoulders were compared to his croup. Right rein he was still a hollow high headed little jerk, so we just cantered and cantered until he put his head down, and then quit that. Cari and Xsarena were out there at that point so he really didn't have much of a reason for being upset.

Given how downhill he was, I thought I'd do some transitions. The kind I'm favoring these days are a 8 strides trot, 8 strides canter, 8 strides trot kind of deal. The problem is that Keno is kind of a hot horse who loves cantering. And once he's balanced up, his transitions are effortless. Which is the point, granted, but they're also supposed to be my idea. He's still mulling that part over. So he'd trot when I asked, but two strides of that and he'd pop back into the canter. It's such a lovely canter that I'd prefer riding it forever, but schooling is more important than fun, grumble grumble grumble.

Today the back of my left knee and my right shoulder hurt. I'm going to try to evaluate how I use my limbs and how I balance. I'm going to try to be very aware of how I ask for things, rather than have an automated system. I know my outside leg comes back during corners, and I need to fix that, because that is a definite canter signal. Keno is moderately sensitive, if lazy, and he's playing off me sufficiently well in other aspects, I think a large part of this cantering is from me inadvertently asking, rather than sheer joy of cantering.

I have (glitter pink) bell boots, bit keepers, and a girth that should fit for Niki. I swear I'll ride her Thursday. She will be crazymare. Sigh. We'll get through it like always- really I'm to blame. I think just two or three solid consistent rides and we'll have this trot nonsense done with. No more sidepassing and cowkicking, just lots of half halts and slightly uncertain meandering about the arena.