As Promised

Yesterday I debated going to the barn because it was really cold and windy outside and I was so deflated and exhausted from working myself up on Wednesday, calming myself down during the lesson, and then irrationally working myself back up again afterwards.  However, I decided that I should go out because it was the first time in a long time that it wasn't raining, and on Thursdays, I get the barn to myself.  I knew that I'd be able to ride Walker outside, and most importantly, I'd be able to work on some of the things that my instructor was talking about on Wednesday.

Walker and I having a stare-off in the paddock: code for "you're going to have to come and get me"

Our ride was pretty good, but it definitely could have been better.  As suspected, my attempt to have a deep, correct seat started to fall apart the minute Walker started careening around the outdoor arena at full speed.  The problem is that my seat is pretty stable (knock on wood); it's just not correct.  I know my instructor wants me to sit with my pelvis tipped forward, thus forcing me into sitting up straight and dropping my weight into my heels.  It's just that I have bad posture in real life (and a touch of scoliosis, which doesn't help), and when I sit with what I assume is my pelvis tipped backwards, I feel more solid - back not pin straight, but heels definitely locked into position.  Obviously it's just something I have to work on.

In particular, today we worked on some smaller circles on his good side.  Half of the arena was a little messy from all the wind, and so I tried to get him to listen to my outside aids and do the circle I actually asked for.  He gave me a good couple of bucks, but as is often the case, I didn't have too much of a problem on that lead.  Once we hit the bad lead, he was up to all of his old tricks.  He was running into frantic corner, trying to do flying lead changes to switch leads, or else simply trying to ignore the circle I asked for and lope off on the incorrect lead in the incorrect direction (in the half of the arena covered in broken tree branches).  

Walker sporting a wind-mohawk.  I'm letting his mane grow to encourage the inner wild horse in him.

I did manage to get one really nice half circle out of him on his bad lead however, and although I would normally not be satisfied with a half circle (especially since it didn't even encompass frantic corner), he had been misbehaving and throwing a temper tantrum all up until that moment.  Then all of a sudden, I asked for a canter, and he gave me a beautiful, well controlled, half-circle, as opposed to a maniacal, speed-driven, zig zag to avoid a circle that I was getting for the rest of the ride.  I decided to quit while I was ahead!

And, as promised, I took pictures!

Are we done yet?