Horsegirl on a Journey

Ground-driving with Rocky

Rocky and I played with a new-to-us concept yesterday. I attached caribiners to the cinch rings to keep the feather lines from dropping to the ground, and spent 45 minutes traveling all over the ranch. By the end, we were much smoother at turning, and he had an amazing backup, all engaged.

For now, we’re just practicing our communication — I’m not attempting to teach him to go sideways to turn, the way he would have to if he were pulling a cart. With the video, I see a lot to improve in my own body language and arms and such.

Ground-driving seems like the perfect way to regain the fitness I’ve lost in the past few weeks due to the beforemath, duringmath, and aftermath of a severe cold virus. It combines “horse time” with “taking a walk,” and unless I want to be dragged, it’s pretty much a power walk the whole time if I’m to keep up with Rocky. I’d like to be able to match his stride so that we can move together in better harmony, but I know from playing stick-to-me side-by-side that my short legs can’t match his long strides for more than a few steps.

For perspective: When I took that video clip from directly behind him, I was holding the camera above my own eye level, attempting to capture his ears. My own eye level is about 6 inches below the dock of his tail….

Riding River

I have been riding River lately, practicing sitting, posting, and two-point at the trot. I’m trying to be fluid and balanced and to use my legs before my reins. I’ve never before managed to use leg cues while posting or in two-point, and now that I know what I know about riding, I understand why I couldn’t do it.

I didn’t know it was okay to use my thighs. I interpreted “don’t grip” and “don’t pinch with your knees” as “have your whole leg flop loosely down the horse’s side without any sort of holding while you balance entirely on your seat” and thus had jiggle-knees and you could see daylight between my legs and the saddle all the time.

Now, I’m practicing “heavy seat, light head” and “tailbone heavier than pubic bone” and “inner thighs are part of the core, so engage them, silly!”

And River is enjoying our time together. She is trotting around like a happy little metronome, teaching me as we go, as I figure out how to organize myself and signal her, to have a plan and a focus, and to keep my attitude playful and joyful and not like we’re working at a job we dislike. I’m able to feel now when our circles collapse because she hesitates in the turn, and practice addressing that sooner so that we make a wider sweep around. I’ve played with mixing it up, with follow the rail and figure 8s and interlocking figure 8s and spiraling figure 8s.

River is easy to ride because she is so rhythmic. It feels like cheating, compared to Rocky*; I don’t feel like I’m trying to learn a dance while also standing on a wobble board on the deck of a deep-sea fishing boat. In a storm.

So I was able to practice using my leg cues while posting, and to start learning how to create patterns, and how to motivate her, and how to feel the difference between awkwardly executing steps (ONE two three ONE two three) and actually dancing together.

*I am finally at a level where I can help Rocky use his body better, through the supporting rein/soft feel concepts of pre-Finesse. We’ve already had some positive strides — heh heh — in this direction, showing Rocky how to carry his body to become more comfortable for himself as well as for us. When Rocky carries himself well, his trot becomes rhythmic, balanced, beautiful. It’s the “bad banana” or “upside down” posture and braced jaw that creates that stabbing, random, awkward gait.