Prep for Dressage

Tomorrow is my first dressage lesson with a new instructor (to me). So, tonight I decided to make sure my english saddle and pad situation works for Gem. The wind was horrendous, so we didn't stay out long. I asked him to just move around in all 3 gaits. He did quite well and was checked in for business right away.

Can't wait to see how we do tomorrow! And I'm ready to learn some new things.

Gem reaches a new height!

He's made it to the title of trail horse! We had an amazing ride yesterday and I hopped on Gem and ponied Z at Hidden Mesa. We went for 7.5 miles and he handled being my main mount beautifully. I was just so proud of him and how he's developed.

We didn't ride too fast, which was good. I met Deb and her 2 horses and she wasn't up for riding crazy fast, either. Also got to see my great friends Lynn and Nancy.

Before we left for the trail, I gave Z and Gem each a quick trim.

When I got back, Kris was here ready for a quick lesson. First she trimmed Starlet and Rain.

Then, I taught Kris the catching game. Rio caught on so quickly to that game, as did Kris. Afterwards, we went into the arena for some sideways and then some mounted work on transitions. Rio is so smart and he's learning to relax very nicely. Pretty impressive.

Sharptail with Kyle

Took off with Kyle and my 2 mares for a great day on the trail! The weather was absolutely perfect and the trail was all ours. We got started and Sharptail's tough climbing was tough for Rain right away. Rain isn't in great shape right now, so Sharptail was challenging. Kyle and I switched horses for a bit so I could feel Rain and see what she needed. I think she was seeking a way to stop and Kyle wasn't sure how to handle it. This was the very first time I've let anyone ride Z on the trail. Once in a while, I'll let someone mount her to understand a feel or to lead them around. But never have I let someone ride her on their own like this. Still, Kyle has a great seat and I thought he'd be ok.

And at first, he was. We walked and trotted along and he was find with my mare. He wanted to canter, so we talked about how to transition her up and back down. He was ready to give it a try. Well, Z wouldn't stop for him. And they cantered off. And Kyle had to just hang on and ride it out. Shoot!

I stayed slow with Rain, hoping that Z would realize she'd left us. She eventually stopped and Kyle hopped off. They probably went about 1/2 mile! He was a little shaken, but handled it quite well. We laughed it off and I apologized profusely. I never expected Z to do that. He definitely gained a new appreciation for my endurance horse.

We went about 10 miles in total and it was (all-in-all) a fantastic ride. We sang, we moved out, we talked about life. I love riding with my kids.

Afterwards, we stopped for ice cream. It doesn't get better! :-)

I met Kris at home after for a session with Rio. The family wanted to play some tennis, so I was feeling pressure to hurry the session along. However, it worked out perfectly! It was windy, but I really was hoping to get Kris to hop on her horse. I taught her yo-yo from the ground, sideways and when she seemed ready, she hopped on bareback for some time to play with transitions. Rio was awesome. He was sensitive and yet relaxed. She was able to work on transition down and up with only her seat. We started with her just riding him as I asked him to play circle game with me and it evolved into her leading the game and adding transitions. Nice to see them develop!