The epic battle between La Resistance and Enlightenment continues with Enlightenment gaining a level of advantage. Nic is slowly seeing that the shadows on the cave wall are figments of reality, and is slowly opening her eyes to the light of the fire.
I spent Sunday and Monday riding Nic after this series of training rides. I thought I had royally screwed her up after our ride on Monday (which would have brought tears to a grown man's eyes it was so painful). Apparently I did ok, because Trainer commented on her progress when he got on her yesterday. She was receiving half halts much better. Still not completely loose in the jaw, but he said she is getting there. So I must have done something right. Score 1 for the blond chick who didn't foul up her horse.
Aside: Logically speaking, I must have been doing something right since my first ride on her, go visit Nic's First Video then view the most recent video for comparison; this series of training rides is the most consistent professional ride she has gotten since I started with her. That is not to diminish the important effect of these training rides, but I also don't want to diminish what I have accomplished with her as well. Make sense?
I noticed, as well, that she was stepping through better, and appeared looser in her back sooner than she appeared last week. Getting on her yesterday confirmed that belief. Last week, we had to use these little bitty steps to prompt her to use her back more effectively. More precisely, unless she could keep using her back by taking larger steps, we kept her on smaller steps to prevent her from hollowing her back, and to ensure she received half halts. This is different from keeping her head down with the reins; no rein pressure is involved, the half halts are created through the seat.
Previously, she had been tracking up (if you don't know what this is, do an internet search of "dressage" and "tracking up"), but she wasn't lifting her back to allow the half halts to come through, was vacant on the bit (although she looks like she's on it) and that energy wasn't getting recycled. Yesterday, she was able to maintain larger steps and still keep her back up, and still accept half halts. One of the WORST feelings in the world on a horse is the feeling of a vacant bit.
La Resistance, although forced into retreat in the dressage court, gained steadily over Enlightenment off the court. On Sunday, Nic got a shot of 5 different vaccines. I think she spent Sunday and Monday feeling crappy (I'm sure our ride on Sunday didn't help, but she didn't appear to feel icky that day, nor before our ride Monday). Monday after our ride, she started acting very strange, pawing at her hay, kicking it to the back of the stall before eating it. She has not done that since I got her. I spent 20 minutes very concerned I was going to have a sick horse.
However, she performed what is the Holy Trinity of horse ownership: She ate, drank, and pooped. Nope, not colic. She was just pissed at me, most notably expressed by not letting me blanket her, but allowing the barn manager to do it. She wouldn't talk to me. I categorize behavior like this, regardless of species, under "Stupid Girl Crap," and took note accordingly. Everything was back to normal after our ride yesterday. We will see what transpires today.
