Not a bad way to spend a summer evening...

Last night I was teaching Kennedy on Callie and they did an awesome job.  Great rhythm, jumping grown-up fences in an incredibly uphill canter and then fun playing in the field...

So it was all kinds of fun to watch and I was kinda looking forward to playing myself (I’m riding Cal once a week for now - helping with fitness and fine tuning).  Now let’s be clear - I’m not even remotely fit.  I acknowledge this in theory but in reality I struggle with it ;)

Yesterday was the first day the field was open so I headed out there today - in jump tack rather than dressage just in case Cal wanted to play.  Was pleased I didn’t have to adjust the stirrups until I realized that while K and I ride w the same dressage length, this was her XC length that I “didn’t have to adjust” - but for me it was flat-in-jump-tack length.  Lol - I would’ve had to go up 3-4 holes for XC.

But we won’t be doing that anytime soon cause omg am I ever unfit!  I made all of one round of the field in a strong canter in 2-pt and less than that in trot.  Ugh.  Methinks next wk will be fitness building for me.  Sadly it is still progress over the first ride a few weeks ago ;). That was just embarrassing.

Only had one serious discussion w Cal, and that was when I insisted that she canter up the speedbump (it can’t even be called a hill...  2-stride slope maybe?) anyways canter up this, properly connected, AND with her shoulders directly in front of her hindquarters.  OMG the epitome of unreasonable requests let me tell you.  The appropriate authorities have been informed.  Lol she stopped, let out the biggest cow-kick she could w no forward momentum whatsoever (which in the grand scheme of Callie’s capabilities is negligible), then begrudgingly continued on her way.  Was quite the traditional mare f-u.   Other than that though, not much.  She was more tired than I expected after her superstar performance last night, but fair enough.  I’m not particularly fit so just as well she didn’t need a long ride ;). And definitely had enough of the MONSTER bugs by the end - to be fair, she wasn’t exaggerating and I was done with them too!   She was at least sensible enough to realize I was helping her when using the dressage whip to flick them away from her ears and face ;).  That could’ve ended poorly but Cal’s sense of self-preservation is usually pretty good; her person made sure she had real life experience as a youngster which definitely helped form a grownup horse with a brain.

So yeah - short ride, but fun.  I was pretty horrified by my lack of fitness (previous rides have all been in dr tack - also highlighted some fitness issues, but nowhere near as dramatically).  I also learned I cannot be trusted in any field w XC jumps ;).  Just too tempting, even if they’re so tiny they’re buried in hay *g*.  It’s just been far too long...