In Which Nikita Smells Something Funny: March 28, 2010

March 15, 2010

I realized today I both drop my right rein too much and let my reins get too long when doing 2 tempis. Dropping the right rein is a bad habit I have to work on anyway - it's always too loose, and I tend to lose the feeling of riding with one hand to the left. I think this is why it feels like I can't get good 2 time changes unless I "fling" Nikita to the left when changing from right to left (i.e., emphasize through motion that I want her to switch from right to left) - she gets disconnected because my reins are too long and I'm losing the connection on the outside rein.

My collected walk is getting better.

2 & 3 Tempis on Nikita: March 10, 2010

I'm completely tired of barn dogs. Where there's horses there's dogs, and in theory I like dogs, but more and more barn dogs are starting to not do it for me anymore. This sentiment has been brewing for a while, and is unfortunate as I've always considered myself a dog person. The reason? Horse people have little dogs, and those little dogs like to chase cars, dart in front of my vehicle, and generally lose themselves in their joie de vie and out of my line of site. Who wants to ever have the chance of hitting an animal? I certainly don't, but I walk that thin line every day with barn dogs, and the irritation that I could accidentally hit a dog one day is starting to fester.

March 8, 2010

Nicole started in-hand work for piaffe yesterday. We're just focusing on walking into the bridle, which is the first step. She was good and chewed the bit at the appropriate times, but confused about what was being asked of her.

March 6, 2010

I finally have the feeling I want from Nikita in the tempis. And I have it consistently through the whole ride.

You can't see the difference - they always looked fine from the outside - but I certainly feel the difference. She is consistently through at her poll and chewing the bit, and there's no room for monkey business between the changes. My legs and hands are connected enough that when she gets strong or loses her throughness, I just have to ask her for a little more behind, and I get the throughness back. I can sense better, too, when I'm asking for too much or not enough.