Game faces

Yayyyy!
We had our first XC school of the season and it was a success!
We had two sub groups but rode as one large group.
Very large group!
Kari rode all star Knickerbocker. It is interesting to me to watch this pair.
They are very different then Knick and I were. Kari has much different strengths and weaknesses then I did with Knick.
We worked on developing the right kind of canters. I found with Kari, I have to talk her through it...."Training level canter.....more more-right there!, table/coop canter-steady, coffin canter-less...more leg more leg...bouncy bouncy there!, etc.
Riders are all so different in their heads.
I can say to Katie C, just as much leg, but no faster. She says oh OK.
Alison watches Kari, I say good or bad and off she goes and does the "good".
It's really interesting to me as a trainer, to try to develop the language that best suits my riders needs.
God knows sometimes I have no idea what my instructors are saying, so I have to think about it and watch and feel.
I am a very artistic picture thinker. So when I teach someone like Laney a fellow artist, I can kinda stream together weird world and motions and she cocks her head and off she goes. We are like two cave woman that follow each other very well indeed!
I'm catching on to Julia's style, talk in between, but don't mess with her too much when she is "on course", and Linda-talk the whole time-"heels down, heels down, -HEELS DOWN!!!".
The most important thing of course is to have your leg on, and not to make any last minute changes before your fence. This only throws your horse off balance.
Maintain, maintain, maintain. Rhythm, rhythm, rhythm.
Alison looked so freaking good on Buckshot when she did this, everyone could see.


Taylor looked great on Violet, the mare seemed really happy to be out in the field!

All in all, everyone really did look great. Buckshot really did showcase Alison as a rider.
I didn't see any real glaring areas that anyone needs to work on!
All that hard work this winter is really paying off.
Katie Cindric really knows what it means to "have your leg on!"
Julia's canter is continuing to come along in leaps and bounds.
By the way Julia, my A$$ would like to thank you for the Amish friendship bread.

Well the baby is napping, so I am off to stalk more free dressage lessons on the Internet then it's back to cleaning the house with my assistant (when she has woken from her beauty rest)!
Dave just emailed me that I have all new LAMINATED dressage tests to put in my Eventing notebook (-thks KP, notebook is the best idea EVER)!
With a husband like this, I better have dinner ready in the crock pot and the house clean! HOLLAR 1950's
This afternoon brings some more lessons and hopefully a hack on Beasty.


I tried Miss Beast in a boucher bit yesterday. I am definitely going to ride her in it for a while. She likes to "take a moment" every now and then. You know just pop her head up and look around. It drives me nuts. It is however a lot better then the violent head toss that she used to do. This little bit didn't allow for breaksies. So ultimately Beast was a bit tense, but I would like to see if that tension passes-she is also in heat, which can do a number on a girls back.
Since Beasts acupuncture, she has been sweating so much on her left side of her neck! She is able to use those muscles now, so they are working extra hard to play catch up. I probably need to have the acupuncture done again soon. Good for Beast, bad for the wallet.
Summer was her amazing, smart, quiet, fancy self yesterday. I just can not express how nice this horse is.

Tomorrow is the Stephen Bradley clinic with the mares, then Friday is a dressage lesson on both girls. Then a quiet weekend for them before dressage on Monday. I am taking this dressage Bull by the horns. This bull is going to be hog tied, spanked, and mewling like a 3 day old kitten when I am done with it. That's not a threat that's a promise dressage bull.
........................................
Mean while back at the farm, Summer continues to happily do baby lengthenings, the perfect canter, and respect the perfect half halt. She also does this while she hums classical music, and learns how to count with her hooves. I swear this horse smiles.
Well she certainly will be economical in her lesson requirements.
She doesn't even know that a dressage bull exists.

Speaking of Dressage-Saturday is our "dressage brush off" at Darenth farm, and there are still a few spots left! Its a steal-30$ for thirty minutes! A half price private!
Have a happy Tuesday!