Two Rides

Monday
Monday's ride was interesting. It was a windy morning, dreary, grey... pretty unappealing. Our barn manager was around, working, but she was about the only person at the farm. I don't mind riding alone but i was for some reason i was a little bit nervous about it. When i caught him and brought him back to the barn he flew backwards as we approached the doorway... he then treated the barn like a trailer he didn't want to go into... side stepping, running backwards, using his strength against me, and spooking. It was VERY odd. Our barn manager K was like, WHAT is he doing...!?! It seemed random, and completely out of character. I have NO idea why he didn't want to walk inside. The only thing i can think of is that it's not the door we usually go in through. K's puppy was sleeping in the middle of the aisle at the usual door and i didn't want to wake her.

When we started riding he was pretty well behaved at the walk, i let him out on a loose rein and made use of all the space we had. I didn't apply much contact, even when i transitioned to trot because i wanted him to move out and loosen up first. When i did begin to add some contact he was quite unwilling a stubborn. Some circles and bending exercises loosened him up through the neck and made him more comfortable going round and he's was working on the bit quite nicely after about twenty minutes of trot work. We worked through some trot poles. One of the standards actually almost fell on him, it was such a gusty day the standards were falling down everywhere, it looked like a hurricane had blown through! When i asked him for the canter he picked up the wrong lead. I brought him back and he did his jittery-bouncy i know we're going to canter again soon trot. I tried to use some half halts and contain his trot but when i asked him to pick up the correct lead he threw a massive buck. I did my automatic sit back and kick him on... and ended up jabbing him pretty damn hard with my spurs. (Mind you I was taken completely off guard... but I still feel bad for getting him with the spurs!) I felt like i couldn't properly deal with the situation from his back, and my nerves only make him worse in these situations so i threw him onto the lounge quickly and asked him to canter from the ground. He threw some pretty big bucks, and then turned in and kicked in my direction. That just pissed me off, so I made him canter until he understood what i mean when i ask him to canter. He is a big and powerful horse. When he's pissed off at me like this is the only time i realize it. I'm actually surprised that i held onto the lounge! Suddenly he switched gears and began to canter beautifully and down transitioned like a complete angel to a nice working trot when i asked. Then back up to the canter willingly, moving at a nice forward face. He was equally perfect in the other direction. I got on and walked him out feeling frustrated and mind boggled!

This is my compiled list of why he bucked:
-Wind
-Being ridden alone and not liking it
-Being stubborn and rude
-Trying to take advantage of me when i'm not at my strongest (nerves)
-Recently on grain, last time he was on grain he became very buck-happy too
-Having too many riders asking him for things in too many different ways lately
-Being asked for hard, real work after slacking off with two younger riders for 8 months, his muscles are probably sore and his brain is well, blown away probably

Anyways, i'm probably over thinking. Boomer bucks once in a blue moon. It's something that he does, always has. It never becomes a regular habit... just enough time in between incidents to get me comfortable and unsuspecting again ;) I'm hoping, and not even putting it on my list that he has a sore back again. I did the tests the chiro recommended to check how his back is after i got off and he didn't seem to reveal any discomfort or pain. I did some leg, neck and back stretches when he was in the barn and some massage techniques i learned in a clinic to relax his muscles.

Tuesday
I e-mailed my Coach, C, to see if she had time for a private or training session today because i wanted him to get a thorough workout and i know she would reveal if it was my fault and help me fix any problems. She was running behind so i ended up warming up for almost half an hour at the walk and trot, not asking him for anything other than to move forward and freely. This really helped relax both of us and he ended up getting into a beautiful ryhtmn which my coach noticed and praised. After he created this gorgeous trot i began to package him together and ask him to collect and extend the trot. He came into a nice, relaxed frame and i didn't feel like i was over-asking, which is something i often do. We worked through a line of trot poles, and after we were ready we began doing canter transitions over the last pole. We did about a million of these in both directions. He was fabulous! He was picking up a really great, round canter which felt really powerful. There were a few moments when i felt him get really strong and lock his jaw and apparently this was only happening when i held my core too tightly and blocked him with my hips. Interesting! His canter was great and our transitions by the end were getting praise from my coach, which is something she doesn't compliment us on. We need to work on our down transitions though, i'm not strong enough in the core to hold him together in his down tranistions and they end up being a scattered, falling apart trot to walk transition where he just goes WOOMPH and he's walking. Very unattractive and won't do much for us in the dressage ring!

This lesson was a success in boosting our confidence and also improving our transitions. C also wants me to majorly focus on rotating my feet so that my weight is on my big toe. Apparently if i do this at the flat it will greatly improve my jumping position later on. I'm supposed to e-mail her with a list of goals for the spring/summer so she can help me achieve them. What i love about this coach is she is organized and goal oriented, which is also how i am.

Overall, it's progress. I have barley been home a week i can't expect him to accept me and want to do beautiful things for me yet. I must accept a struggle. Last summer, starting him from 6 months off it took us two good months to get back into the groove with each other. I feel confident that this summer things will come along much more quickly, Boomer is my main priority and i want to really improve my position and skills because i know that his fitness is already there. He's just waiting for me!

Tomorrow the leaser rides, so I'm hanging out not doing much. Handing out resumes! Fun! NOT. My room is still not unpacked.. i have two big boxes to put.. somewhere! Who knew settling in back home would be such an effort, all i want to do is RIDE!

:)