Standing up for myself

So it started like this. T has been having lessons for a few months now, and has been keeping me up to date on what he is learning each time. The other week the riding school were short an instructor so a 30min private lesson turned into an hour group lesson. As part of this he was telling me the instructor had people doing "standing trot"... standing in their stirrups for one circuit of the school.

I got a bit nostalgic remembering days of long long cross country canters in half-seat, or lessons when I was doing my BHSAI where we had short short stirrups and had to work out of the saddle to improve our lower leg, strength, balance etc.

Was I still up to it ? I knew I would probably want to try it out.

Now Fi has a tendency to be a bit spooky - I rarely do work without stirrups because it is just too risky unless it is a fine day, but not too sunny, with no wind, no scary pheasants etc etc. The safest place to be is *in* the saddle. In addition, despite her main issue being her left hock (DJD), she has then shown some lameness in the front (probably adjusting to "save" her back leg). And doing work in a forward seat would put more weight on her forehand, which might not be such a good idea.

Fi's right canter is her biggest problem - because of the left hock. Recently she has been struggling and braking gait. (A lesson back in the summer suggested this was tension in her back). She also has a tendency to be a bit stuffy in trot until she warms up.

So I was a bit uncertain how this would work out.

But I figured it was worth a try so did a bit of a warm up and then had a go. And all of a sudden the stuffy trot started moving a bit better, and a bit better, and there we were.... with a nice big swinging trot !!

Hmmm..... interesting. Same thing on the other rein. And then we tried canter.
Right canter is still not as strong or consistent. She isn't as straight and I suspect that in trying to straighten her up, I sometimes make things worse instead.

But it really did make a difference. And it wasn't just a fluke as I added it in to my warm up this week as well.

Even better, I didn't ache after :)

I have been trying to build up her work and fitness. Previously canter has been a case of one 20m circle, or one circuit of the school (40x20) on a good day. But we've been working up to 3 full circuits on her good rein, and two on her worse rein. As her fitness is improving, we're managing to do longer sessions (40-50 mins) and with more fast work. I still don't think she is fit enough, nor is her right canter ok enough, to do a dressage test yet. But she (touch wood) does seem to be staying sounder on D&H Mobility.

The downside is that the mild weather we have been having (I'm not complaining !) means that even her limited fluffiness means she is getting hot and sweaty. I clipped a "key hole" from her neck and chest today so no doubt that is the cue for some frosts :(

In other news...

Rosie is down to just heartbar shoes with no gel pad support. She will probably have her feet x-rayed at the end of the month to see how any recovery is going.

Duds is enjoying getting to toddle around the stubble field and the girls are now very used to this and don't really fuss about him being away any more.

Last worm counts were low for Rosie and Duds but medium (1150 epg) for Fi. Fi got wormed and retested and is back to <50 epg.