Fine Tuning

Butterball and I went back to PW's for a completely undocumented lesson on Friday. EM is out of town through Butterball's and my trip to Kentucky, so it made sense to reconnect with PW. He very graciously fit us in at the end of the day after being at WEC with other students for most of the day. I was on overnights Monday through Thursday, so I napped for a few hours and then loaded up the pony. 

When we started, I was a bit concerned that Butterball was as tired as I was. Wednesday we had gone to Sweet Dixie for more canter sets, and he was pretty darn worn out from the get go. Probably due to running stadium and XC at Stable View on Sunday and then hauling seven hours home. Our first two 6 minute sets were not at the prescribed 400 mpm, closer to 380. But we picked it up for the last one. 

Trot for 15 minutes, 3 x 6 min canter sets, walk for 30 minutes
The complete drop off in pace is when I stopped and took off his bridle to let him take a nice long drink. 

For Florida, this much elevation change is pretty decent

Thursday we took a 45 minute walk hack and then tried out Emma's schooling plan recording, which was the perfect thing for loosening up a tired pony without me having to use my tired brain. 

Walk hack with moos who were very interested in meeting BB

But back to Friday. PW asked how we had been doing. I had seen him once when I came to watch a friend's lesson. I filled him in on our RF at Bouckaert at that point. So on Friday I caught him up to speed on how Stable View had gone and he listened closely and then got to work. The course initially in the ring was set up with a one stride, but he backed it out to a two stride and put in a nice bending line seven stride line to the two. We warmed up with a ground line rolled a foot out from the base of a vertical that he then turned into an oxer. The focus was on landing and GOING. He traded out my roller ball spurs for tiny rowels. I was to land and turn heel in for two strides. I was NOT to shove with my body or seat, just close my leg/spur. We practiced this three or four times and then tried without that aid. Lo and behold, pony galloped boldly forward from the jump. 

Galloping boldly at Stable View, photo by Liz Crawley

There is either something magical about PW's ring and presence or this lesson was the culmination of all of the things we've been working so hard at the past several months. The whole thing was great. Butterball was absolutely jumping out of his skin. I was able to GO forward away from the fences and then keep supporting leg on through the turn to then let him find the distance correctly without shoving him past it. We did a five stride line across the diagonal, turn left to a four stride line down the long side, turn across the diagonal to a single oxer that he jumped the absolute snot out of, right hand turn to a single oxer, seven strides to the two stride. The first time we went through the two stride he took a deep spot in, but I landed and used my leg and he boldly moved up to get the two strides. 

It truly was putting all the pieces together. PW noted that too; he felt like we had continued to improve and progress since he saw us last. Butterball is pretty darn strong and balanced right now. I was coming around turns using EM's feeling of leg yielding him out to the spot and then landing, going, and then smoothly balancing around the next turn. I was mostly up in two point off his back and would just softly sit through the last part of the turn and the approach to the fence. I was occasionally remembering to lengthen the left side of my body. And in response, Butterball felt light, balanced, trustworthy and just downright amazing. 

Sweet Dixie