TTT

There are just some things in training that come back to haunt you from time to time. Like the lesson with Karl on timing. Yesterday it was a phrase notes from a lecture that Anders Lindgren did for the New England Dressage Association. The phrase was "TTT" which stood for Things Take Time.

I was riding a young horse. A super young horse with a fabulous brain. We joke that he's the body builder from the commercial saying "I pick things up I put them down". He just wants to do his job. Forget the fluff. Anyway, the only one thing I've been missing in this horses repertoire is suppleness. It just wouldn't happen! Weeks went buy....now months....And then yesterday....there is was! Oh how I could kick myself for even thinking maybe it wasn't going to happen! I think I had completely resigned myself to riding a brick wall for the rest of my days! This poor little man was so very talented, and he could go around in third level type collecting, but literally holding himself together. And yesterday he finally just let go, and took a breath ;-)

It was freaking beautiful!!!

But cooling out the "reflecting" started. Flashback to my first rides on Shorty. Stretch was laid up because of his immune system issues. Shorty was my second ride. He was six I think. I cried to Mike, that I couldn't ride something that felt like a surfboard. Now today, I can't even bring myself to sell him, because not only would I miss every thing about him, his heart, his eye, his personality, but those miraculous feelings he gives you that you're sitting on a very powerful puff of wind.

And then I thought of his evolution of his collection. And the bumps along the road where I thought he had become as good as he could be. He is a master of it! But every plateau I resigned him to being a "six/seven" horse. But today, it's becoming even better! No miracles. No magic. But time, and the progressive exercises defined by good dressage.

Yeah Shorty. TTT. You're stuck with me. And we're going to keep getting better and better together. xoxox

Timing is everything

Today I hopped on the German Pony stallion, Pernod, for his owner. He's a cool little guy with a big guy mentality. He's been working third level, and starting to school early pirouette and piaffe exercises, and offering some good steps at both. Today he came out and was fairly energetic, so I decided to use that energy and warm up with some easy half steps. He did them quite well, and then we went about our way.

Later the owner asked me if I always warmed him up in the half steps, and I said no. That generally I warmed him up at the rising trot, sometimes at the canter. It really depended on Pernod. Today he came out, and the energy in his walk told me I could just quicken the hind legs into some half steps, and there he was.

Yeah, if you're careful, and you listen, your horse tells you when he's ready for something new. Take those opportunities when they arise. It's so much easier than trying to create something that's just not in his heart at that moment!