All I can say is I feel like I am living in a desert. For the last week and a half we have had record breaking heat between 25-36 degrees. We are all melting. Add to that the horse flies that are out in full force and attacking us. We have been soaking the horses in fly spray. Poor little Oslo is having to hide inside with the air conditioning on full blast so he doesn’t melt.
I have been really happy with Vitall all week. The overall feeling of connection and rhythm are becoming much more consistent. We have been working on the little details now, center lines being a key detail that most of us throw away marks on. I’m shooting for a 9 for my center lines, there is no reason why everyone can’t get a 9 for a center line. I think Vitall gets the sequence now: canter, halt, stand still and square and wait…. which many of our ponies like to fidget. Then trot off nice and strait. I have also been working on my extended trots. Vitall has a habit of running through the corner and fading after x. To fix it I have been coming out of the corner and halting him turning around and halting again on the diagonal. Once I get the feeling that my half halts are coming through I keep going and make sure he goes for the entire diagonal. At the end, I keep him going forward through the corner so he thinks to Go and not stop. Making the transition at the end is easy for him so at home I’m not training it.
Other then riding, I have been living on the beach (lake). There is a lake not too far away, about a 15 min drive, with water slides and little peddle boats. It feels like a mini holiday every time I go lie in the sun. I said to my mom that when I come home I will look like I have been in Greece all summer instead of riding.
Tomorrow I have a show in Ermelo, about 2 hours away. I’m really looking forward to going tomorrow as Vitall has been so good, I’m excited to put our hard work to the test. Thankfully we are riding in the evening I’m praying it’s a bit cooler by then.
