The mare absolved herself to a certain extent yesterday. We had a lot less looking and more focus on pushing towards the bridle. She is saved from the meat man for yet another day. It appears in the epic dressage battle between enlightenment and ignorance, enlightenment is winning out momentarily. La Resistance has been redirected. I don't like the imagery of comparing dressage to a Nazi regieme as a descriptor of the training process because dressage is only about subduing freedom from an unenlightened mare's perspective, and, as a whole, dressage is not about subjugation, but rather the extinguishment of ignorance, so a comparison of dressage to the Age of Enlightenment seems more valid.
What was so good about it? Well, Friday our entire ride (and lesson) was about getting Nic to pay attention to something other than the children playing across the street. Nic is obsessed with kids; adults she couldn't give 2 figs about. La Resistance was at an all time high that day, and the effects were scorching. I'm hearing from the ground she looked fine, but that's how La Resistance spins you into her silken webs; appearances and reality fail to intersect frequently. Nicole's main MO is to look perfect on the ground but give the rider one hell of a time uptop. That's how she's convinced the world that I'm nuts. When the ground eyes get on the horse, suddenly they are educated in the subtle ways of La Resistance. I should change Nic's show name to: "Nicolbria: La Resistance."
I am hearing that the frame we had her in on Fri and Sat was something of a more challenging frame, although I dont know exactly what it was, mainly because I don't have an omniscient view of myself. She had lotsa sweat on her flank even though it was colder (50's) yesterday. I take that as a good sign. I had to use a LOT more leg too (huff, puff) to keep her reaching for the bit and not locking her back. I wonder what it looked like. Eventually one day I will remember to set up the video camera.
It appears she is getting more muscle in that hole area between the topline and her underneck. I don't know the terminology for that area, but I do know that is where she needs to be getting it, besides her topline (which I'm unconcerned with because it's built up consistently, whereas I've had a harder time getting her to release in the bridle enough to build the 2nd area up). That hole area is where they flex when working properly. I should post a picture. I hear pictures are worth 1000 words, but that could just be a vicious rumor.
I must confess something - I put knots in my reins. How sad is that? But I need them - 20 years of having loose fingers for skating has resulted in the major issue of not holding onto my reins well enough, thereby allowing La Resistance to gain some advantage over Enlightenment. So the knots serve 2 purposes. The first actually keeping the reins in one spot, the 2nd to make me aware of what's going on in the finger department. When you have La Resistance with a 1500lb advantage, Enlightenment needs all the help we can get.
