Seeing the forest for the trees

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Well, I am now declaring the “summer of canter” a resounding success. I had a brilliant solo ride today with multiple brilliant stretches of loping on the buckle, occasionally correcting for proper leads but otherwise dropping all contact. Q was brilliant, relaxed, rhythmic, with a lovely cadence that was soft and controlled yet forward and ground covering. We were probably doing 8-9 foot strides so longer than a lope but shorter than a hunter pace.









The feeling of that lope-on-a-buckle on a horse that has way more power is amazing. To have achieved this on a horse without professional western training is pretty incredible. Of course it does also require some trust because a strong spook or spin can literally leave you hanging when you have zero contact. But as I have learned, the more I let go and trust my horse, the more he trusts me. And when things do go wrong, by the time Ive picked up the contact the issue has been resolved.

On top of all this, Qs neckrein has gotten very good at both trot and canter. SO good in fact that I actually do not use the neckrein but just a little shift in weight and sometimes the outside leg. 

And Q is constantly rewarded by this responsiveness because it means we spend most of our rides without any aids. He keeps telling me “yep, I got this”. And so I let him be.

So we have been in this virtuous cycle for a few months now. And Im tickled pink at how far our canter has progressed over the summer. And fall.

And Im starting to see the forest for the trees. When we ride with others Ive admittedly begun taking Q for granted, while I lead the less experienced rider or horse to a safe ride. Or Ill spend my time chatting and paying no attention to him. But then when we go out alone I get to see what a well tuned machine my horse has become on trail and I shower him with compliments and neckrubs while he softly picks up a lope from a walk and keeps his tempo as I sing him a song.

I love these solo rides.

Comments

  1. TeresaANovember 10, 2020 at 8:26 AM

    This all sounds so magical.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nat DNovember 10, 2020 at 8:45 AM

      Thanks Teresa! It was special, in a goosebump kind of way! And of course the scenery is like a fairytale even in the dim days of November.

      Delete

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