The Week in Review

So far as riding goes, for me and Finn this week is done, and I'm calling it a success. When isn't it, really? But I was able to stick to the plan quite closely, which we all know doesn't always happen. Living in the land of sunshine helps.

It was SUPER windy the night I had R out to video, so things were a bit rougher around the edges than they might otherwise have been. Still, I learned a lot. For one, although my HQ/FQ turns have improved, they have a LONG way to go. In the FQ turn, Finn still isn't planting his outside hind for a pivot foot... and I can't tell that he isn't. So my feel needs work, and we need to keep working on it.

For another, although our soft feel has a long way to go, it is really developing nicely! I wanted to make sure I wasn't rewarding Finn for over-flexing, and after studying several minutes of video frame-by-frame, I am pleased to say I am happy with what I'm releasing for. Case in point:

If you look closely, you will see I have JUST let go of my reins in this photo... you can still see the coil falling out of my left hand. And I am happy with what Finn is offering - to my mind, his flexion here is very appropriate for his level of development. And doesn't he look adorable?!

Watching the video of us playing with the soft feel, in addition to other thoughts I've been thinking about, has made me more committed to the idea that I want to develop Finn's dressage primarily via Karen Rohlf's approach. An open mind, however, can see that Buck's concept of the soft feel, applied correctly, is not so different in many ways, so I don't feel like what we're practicing now has been counter-productive. I just think that adding in the Dressage, Naturally insight and approach will result in a horse more appropriately developed for my goals.

Another boon from the night we videoed was this little clip of Finn trotting some ground poles:



I'm really pleased with this, mostly because he is so relaxed and maintains such a consistent rhythm. He also directs a good bit on my focus and leg, with the support of a light rein cue in some cases, and for the most part, stays straight as an arrow over the poles. We could use a bit more energy, but I'm happy with where we're starting.

The next evening, we had a lovely little ride around the farm. Finn's confidence and willingness continues to expand, and every time I ride out I take him further from his comfort zone than the last time. We took a long trot from partway down the driveway up to the arena on the hill, and Finn handled it superbly.

Wednesday we hit the trial for real, with trail buddies S & T. We rode at Fay-Luther Canyon, a great trail and a lovely view:

Finn was a little over-attached to T at the outset, but a few leap-frogs and he was feeling much more connected to me. The trail we chose was a bit of a climb, not terribly steep, but consistently uphill. It was probably the hardest Finn has ever worked! Going uphill, I had a hard time keeping him in front of my leg... something we really need to work on improving. On the way back down, he felt much more forward, no surprise there!

Finn's forward walk is still no match for T's ground-covering march, though, so we got left behind a little on the way back towards the trailer. No mind, it was a great opportunity to test out connection. While Finn definitely got a bit concerned about T's disappearance, he kept his cool rather well and I just felt the need to calmly remind him that he needed to stay with me both physically AND mentally.

All in all, it was a great ride... although Finn made it quite clear that he is NOT a fan of the horseflies that were hiding out up in the woods. We headed back to S's for a bit, and Finn got to have another great learning experience, standing tied at the trailer quietly, even if your buddies "leave." Although he got a bit worked up about that, he settled down in a few minutes. That's what I like to see.

 

I planned to ride this morning, it's true, but the ride yesterday really was something far beyond what Finn is typically asked to do, so I decided to give him the day off. He'll have another three days off as I'll be gone braiding this weekend, but you know, he's earned it. He's been trying really hard and has progressed a lot in the last couple of months.

So this morning, I fed him his supplements, gave him a good grooming, red-lighted the scar on his knee and hand-grazed him for 20 minutes. I also washed his sweaty, smelly pad and girth from yesterday's ride. It feels good to know everything is in order before I go. I think Finn enjoyed the lazy morning, even though the wind was blowing like crazy out there!

Next week, I'll have Monday and Tuesday morning to ride before I go braiding again. Then I should be back in time to have a ride Saturday, as well. I might be able to squeeze rides in Sunday and Friday after my returns, but I'm typically pretty useless those evening after I've driven home from braiding on only couple of hours' sleep. So the next few weeks will be lighter for Finn, but I am determined to make the most of the days we will have together!