Wither wedgie

Kinda crude title but I think it is funny in an immature sort of way.  Every year or so I try this and every year or so I say I will never do it again.  It takes about that long for my mind to start saying, well it can't be that bad.  You probably guessed it, I was lazy yesterday and didn't feel like changing my clothes or getting all tacked up so I hopped on with shorts, tennis shoes and rode off.  Elaina hopped on Snappy for her first ever bareback ride.  I actually am kind of in disbelief she had never ridden bareback before.  She has now been given permission to ride Snappy bareback anytime she pleases as long as she has close toed shoes and a helmet.  Cause that is how kids should be raised, with pony freedom.

It was better this time than ever before.  Steady finally has some what of a topline( and by topline I mean he is not complete skin and bones on his back) and filled out behind his withers and that makes a world of difference.  It was actually quite pleasant beyond my shorts ridding up.  We did some trot work and he has such amazing gaits.  His walk is actually the most difficult gait of his to ride because he has such a huge stride and always walks with such purpose over reaching and swinging that it can be jarring at times.  I canter and and even got a little gallop out of him.  His canter is serious rocking horse canter so that is a dream also.  He gave me a few fits to the right for whatever reason.  Switching behind then flying changes (unprompted of course) we aren't that good yet.  When he would do a flying change I would ask for him to change back like I normally do.  I figure if he can do it on his own he should do it when I want the one I asked for back.  It is about 50/50 getting it back.  If he didn't get it then I would just do a simple change.  All of this got a little bobbly but still I was shocked that I felt as secure bareback as I do in a saddle.  No joke I did everything the same way I would have done it had I been sitting in a saddle and never felt insecure in the least.  Even galloping, flying changes, switching behind, transitions  all of it.  That says to me that not only has Steady come a long way in the last year but I have come leaps and bounds.  I even posted bareback!  Only like 10 strides but still, posting bareback?  That was stuff I last did when I was like 14 and had the body to do it.  Once he got about 3 20 meter circles on the right lead I took Peter's advice when he said if you ask something of a green horse and they are struggling with it and once the do it beautifully GET OFF immediately and reward them.  You bet they will be more willing to do it next time you ask.  He said he didn't care if he was out way out and had to walk all the way back it is worth it in your training.

Tomorrow me and the kids are going to go out for the Indiana Eventing Assocciation work day at the horse park and then go to a tack store afterward.  So we should have a fun day tomorrow.

That is all that is going on in my horse related world at the moment.  I am super excited to start seeing little blades of grass popping up out in the pasture.  I also took on Aimee's 2-point challange though I have not been able to get a baseline yet.  I tried yesterday bareback and I am fairly certain it was probably about 40 seconds bareback but to be fair I believe this is to be done in a saddle so surely I can get better time with stirrups.  Today's goal get on my horse and get a 2-point baseline.  Doable?  Should be, but I am feeling incredibly lazy on the overcast, misty day.

BTW

Happy Derby Day!!!