The Positive Training Plateau

Fiona and I have pretty much been holding steady on a our training. We've been doing mostly walk/trot work with some cantering where we can get away with it. When I say get away with it, because Fiona is having issues with bucking and kicking out when asked to canter. She never had this problem before at the beginning of her training, or if she did, it was fleeting. Perhaps she would do it once in a lesson and with one swift "get your butt moving", either with a bump to the sides of a crack on the hind end with a rope, she would give up on the idea.

Now a few things have changed, I am heavier now, almost back to my highest weight again, but trying to fight my way back down. We have been riding in a training martingale. Other than those 2 things, everything else is the same. It has been our longest, uninterrupted period of JUST riding. We've done very little desensitizing work and almost no ground work except for warm-ups, but most of the time I just saddle and get right on.

We even thought for a while that something might be physically wrong with her, but after several vet checks and a hiatus from riding at a trot or canter, she seems to be fine. Even lunging she doesn't seem quite as sore/hesitant.

So it is a little disappointing to go to the point where I can reliably tack up and mount without issue, and then get stuck where we can't canter together.

I am investigating some ways to resolve the issue, by going back to some riding fundamentals that I think we rushed through on our way to start canter work. I read Centered Riding, by Sally Swift and got taken to SCHOOL! Wow there's so much I don't know about riding properly.

So while the plateau is very frustrating, I think it will ultimately lead to better riding for us in the long run. Here's to hoping.....

"You can't do that...", No YOU can't do it.....I am already halfway done!

One thing I know about myself is that nothing pisses me off faster than someone telling me that I can't do something, especially when it comes to my horse. I am a pretty chill person most of the time (unless I have had too much coffee) so when someone tells me I can't do something, my outside voice says "Yeah, you are probably right." or "Maybe". Meanwhile, my inside voice says "What do you mean I can't do that?!?!?!?. Just because YOU can't do it, doesn't mean I can't do it. So, go ahead regale me with your tails of things I can't do, because I have an open slot for you my 'I told you I could, so shut the f**k up' list."

Needless to say, I get a little touchy about it. Now, I am not high on drugs. I don't think that as a 5'0" woman that I am going to be able to dunk a basketball on a regulation hoop or that I can survive a fall of a high rise. Everyone has very real limitations in life, but my goal is to overcome the limitations that are only in my head.  If this journey with Fiona has taught me anything, it is that many of the things I thought I could never do with her, were all in my head. I mean I wasn't even sure I could ride this horse and now I goal for the year is to go on a trail ride! It's crazy.

Despite the VERY long delay between this post any my last, not much has really changed, but it seems like so much has. Bad news, I have gained back pretty much all the weight I had lost and I am desperately trying to turn into that skid. Good news, Fiona will get in a trailer now!!! She still has some concerns, but she will get in!Also, we re-entered the park of evil!! We rode out there on the end of a lunge line and we are working our way closer to traffic this week in our lesson. Prayers everyone!! Here's some video:

Pretty cool huh? You'd never know she was ever nervous out there. Trails here we come!!!!