Sunday, March 21, 2010

The long road back

It seems hard to believe that we past 20 days of continuous work today, with today being the first full gale force week. But we did.

While the weather has been perfectly good, schooling after the second week hasn't really been great.

Like eating too much fresh grass, Sinari has begun to feel the glut of work. I think we both hit the end of our spring fever run.

While the changes, some collection and extensions are still easy for her, she's taken to running through my half halt and lateral work is harder for her. Possibly because she has come in raging heat, and possibly twenty days in the arena is twenty days way too long.

Thankfully the fields dried out just enough to go hacking about in during the last bit of the week this week. 

Either way, she's due for some body work, and a day off. Day off tomorrow, body work sometime, hopefully this week.

My position has very well suffered from the time off. I tend to pitch forward now in quasi-half seat to keep off of a fresh back, and I tend to treat the pony, who is working the FEI well, as a second level horse. I now have to get it through my skull that what worked then, cannot work now. Sinari is wonderfully and adept at telling me that I'm dong it wrong. Especially in the pirouette and the half pass.

While I have to work on my position itself, I want to at least go out and try different saddles again. I hate saddle shopping. 

But overall physically, we're capable, conceptually we're still addressing a few leftovers.

Rolex is coming up fast too (about a month), and since I volunteer, I usually get a pass into the park for all four days. I'm going to use this time to sit in a few new saddles (although I have a feeling of what I want), and try on some shadbellies.

Meanwhile, since spring has sprung, my house windows are open and spring cleaning has in earnestly started. I managed the living room, the dining area and the bathroom. But have so much more to go. 

No comments: