Great day!

I worked with tons of horses at the barn today! I get there this morning and worked with Van Gogh on the lunge. He's building more muscle gradually and I think after just 4 days of me working with him he's looking a lot better. I also trimmed his mane and he looked like a different horse. :)

After working with Van Gogh I rode Silver for A. Silver is a phenomenal horse - he's a big beautiful grey off the track thoroughbred who just needs to be ridden correctly to get stronger and better at using his body. He also has trouble striking off on the left lead but we think this is just phsychological. Once he gets the left lead canter it is relaxed and easy. He's just a little weak on that side. He was a good boy and we got the left lead canter easier than yesterday. Sometimes I get anxious and look down as I ask for the canter - this never works. I need to make sure i sit up, keep him on my aids and straight. If I keep this throughout the canter transition, he will pick up the left lead when asked. I think a few more rides like this and the left lead canter will soon be no big deal!

After Silver came Captain. This is my first time riding Captain and he is really fun. He gets really tight though and it takes a while to work out his stiffness. S. got on him first and did some leg yields, shoulder in, haunches in etc.He seemed to be a little heavy in the bridle when S was warming him up, but once I got on he was better. I just did more loosening exercises and circles and a little bit of canter. He's really fun and apparently a pretty good jumper. We'll have to try it soon!

Next I got on Picasso just to give him a workout before his owner got on.It was funny getting on him after riding Silver and Captain because he has a really short neck and he's kind of small to begin with. It looked like there was nothing underneath me! He's a young horse too (about 3 or 4 not really sure) so I just tried to get him to relax and get his rythymn. I did lengthening down the long side and shortening on the short side. He also tried to resist picking up the left lead but I got it after a few tries. I just held him on my outside aides so he couldn't pop his shoulder.

Finally i got to ride my baby. I took a lesson with C. to see what it was like. It went okay but Deuce and I were both off because of all the different things going on. I was riding in a jumping saddle, and Deuce was unsure of what to do when he couldn't feel me sitting on his back ( I was riding in half seat and in 2 point. I think I need to do more canter in half seat or 2 point to get him used to his own rythymn and balance at the canter. I was tense and I think Deuce really feeds off my behavior. He did a few jumps really nicely but then he ran out on one of them. We let him stop and think, then lowered the fence tried it again and he was fine. After that though he just got even more flustered and decided that he would rather just stop instead of going anywhere near the jump. Again, I was tense too and this really affected him. I had to really push him to get him to trot and canter around the arena and show him it is really not a big deal. We ended the lesson just cantering and trotting around the arena and randomly going over poles and cavalettis. I think the lesson ended nicely and we got over our tension, but i feel bad that he got so worried. poor guy. Will try to have a nice easy ride tommorow and just let him have fun! He's such a great horse and I love him SOOO much. Mwah!