These settings would normally, when combined, create a very unhappy Marina. Yet when you divide them by the fact that it was for a Holly Hudspeth clinic, suddenly I am able to be quite enthusiastic about the whole deal. Well maybe just about the clinic.
7 o'clock sharp Apollo and I were out there cracking through the frozen surface of footing, okay so Apollo was cracking, I was sitting there feeling bad enough for him to give him extra walking time but not bad enough to get off and help.
The lesson with Holly went really well, Apollo has been having problems actually going straight. Which I guess is kinda important, especially since we're moving up to intermediate in the spring (yayyy) which has fancy movements like shoulder and haunches in. Anyway, so we worked a lot on a tight circle getting him to stretch deeply into each bend and stepping through both sides equally, then leg yielding out while maintaining the contact.
We then worked on canter-walk transitions, stressing on the contact. By the end of it I'd say we looked pretty good.
After getting some much needed Starbucks, and a quick nap on back of our truck Apollo and I headed down for a show jumping lesson.
Holly had us working on just staying really consistent in the canter so that the distances would come without much adjusting, but if I had to adjust it would be easy.
Basically more of what we've been working on all year. We are getting better but I'm gonna go ahead and make a prediction that I'm gonna be working on this for a really long time. It's one of those things you don't escape.
I would have ridden Sunday morning too, and I should have a fun seafood boil to recall but unfortunately I got what felt like the flu Saturday afternoon and couldn't ride.
Apollo is staying in NC until december for training and I get to experience some time as a NARP (non-athletic regular person) it's what some of my varsity friends call themselves when their season is over for the year.
So a- NARPing i will go until winter break
