New location is working great!

I've been talking about the anticipated move on Bear's blog, so I haven't mentioned it here. I packed up the horses and moved, to a great place, that will hopefully be more accessible for potential buyers. It also has a lot more stuff for me to play with! Jumps in the big arena, dressage court, indoor arena, and 5 miles to haul to the trail! I LOVE it!

Tonight I lunged my appy gelding first, then put him back in the pen and grabbed Lola. Despite the new facility, despite the wind of the approaching storm, and despite the fact Bear was screaming like a banshee and charging around his pen, Lola was a cool as could be. This was good, because I put on the jumping saddle for the first time! I am OUT OF SHAPE! Man... who knew? I'd like to actually start riding her through some of the gymnastics that I've been lunging her through, but I was surprised how wobbly I felt without my dressage saddle! She was perfect though.

We lunged so that she could some good canter work in with the big arena. We'll be stuck in the small indoor for the next few days with rain, so I wanted to take advantage of the big area. I started her into the canter, then would slowly shrink the circle down so that she had to work a little harder, then expand again. Good work out for her mentally and physically. We did the same at the trot since we're working on really bending through turns under saddle. I finished by taking the side reins off and lunging her over a little cross rail. She trotted over when I asked, and cantered over when I asked, she really listens to how I'm asking her to approach. I like that!

When I hopped on it was an easy transition to do some serpentines with tight 10 -15 metre half circles, then a straight line. Working both on bending her whole body through the turns, and going straight along the line. I'm also starting to ask her to maintain the slightest bit of bend along the straight. Then we mixed in some trot-halts-trots, she's not too quick on that. The trainer will probably want a more immediate response when we have our next lesson. I'll see if we can improve that over the next few days.

Her trot is getting more and more regular! Even with me feeling less secure in the saddle, she trotted along lightly on a pretty steady contact. I'll try the jumping saddle for a few days to get my legs back under me. The theme with the mare has proven over and over to be, "Once she know something, she KNOWS it!" She is such a happy little work horse once she understands the concept. Next week will be finessing the canter transitions!

But until then we're working on the dressage tests for this Sunday. Big day for both of us! And just because I always bite off more than I can chew, I'm taking her to another hunter show on Saturday! Not too much work for her really, we'll only do a few classes. I just figure it will be one more new place, and it has some really fun classes for greenies! I never thought I'd be so excited about a hunter poles class! I get to do a full jump course, at the trot, with only poles to step over!!! Sounds lame, but its perfect for her level right now. Yes, she's capable of more, but I like to set us up for success at the shows. We'll school the rest at home. So still sticking to walk trot classes until she feels really comfortable with her canter transitions. I think the light bulb will go on soon, and then she'll think its just one more easy thing that her silly rider seems so pleased about.

Blankets are pulled out of storage yet again and back on the horses, all ready for the rain!