I was startled when I got home. I had zero puddles on the pasture. I had zero watery spots in the arena. Signs Ransom had walked through it with disturbed dirt hoof prints but no mud. No Mud at all!
Get out the breeches, t-shirt, and party hats! I was getting a lesson!! YahOO!!!
Ransom was a little stiff, from all the time off, of course. But we had a blast! Worked on walk to halt transitions, and walk/trot/walk transitions. My tests calls for enter working trot, halt at X. I need to figure out if this means I can halt through a few steps of walk. Otherwise, it's gonna be ugly ugly.
We finally got to ride in some shade. One huge advantage of the days ending a little earlier, the far end of the arena gets shaded by the neighbor's trees. So we worked at that end for quite a while. I in fact lost track of time near the beginning of my ride, searching for just the right transition. Ransom loosened up by the end, with a pretty trot down to walk and walk to halt, all heading left (his bad direction). Knowing any trot/canter/trot transition work would just wind him back up again and get him hot, we ended it there, satisfied he'd gotten better over the ride.
My signals are getting clearer to him for up & down transitions. I can tuck my toosh & squeeze for the ups, and settle deep with an exhale for the downs. Some downs come with a bit more rein than I'd like to use, which I hope will improve as we get back in shape.
Most importantly, I'm happy to report I don't feel all that sore this morning. Happy happy about that. I anticipated feeling really sore & stiff, after the long break I'd also had. I'm hoping Ransom feels about the same.
I got to ride! So begins my commitment to take this all very seriously leading up to the show on the 27th.
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