Warm out, did a short relaxed ride in the big outside arena because I’m still half-sick and besides we gave Mocha her 5-way vaccination today (EEE, WEE, rhino, flu, tetanus; in November she gets the 2-way which is rhino and flu; in a training barn with a lot of folks in and out so she’s not in a closed herd). Plus yesterday she got trimmed.
It was a sweet little ride. She’s now comfortable enough with countercanter that we can change leads on the rail every three strides and she stays mostly relaxed. I really didn’t collect her up much on the snaffle–long rein ride and she was mostly relaxed and dropping her head. I really didn’t want to collect her up or get her too worked up because of the vaccination. I find that light work on a long rein after the vax seems to help her deal better with it–better to inject before, too, it seems.
Gregg commented that she was loping nice and relaxed, with a level topline.
The other thing is that now we can play in the big outdoor. With just a little bit more space, we can change directions and leads at will, and so a lot of our relaxed loping also involved zig-zagging around swapping leads. Actually kind of relaxing and fun, as well as a bit whimsical. Whimsical is good.
Anyway, a nice riding session. Not a lot of schooling, unless you count countercanter and whimsical direction-swapping at the lope. We do need to school down transitions, heck, transitions always need work. But just a nice playful outdoor arena ride, with lots of walk breaks and work over the railroad tie walkovers. Short, but relaxing.
Another one like that on Friday, to help with further recovery just in case. And then next week back to harder schooling.
Rather pleased with myself–I’d set a goal to get countercanter and tempi changes put on her this winter, and we did it. Now to continue making them No Big Deal.
