Queen of canter

"Thousands of years ago, man tamed the horse, and as a result, we experience thrills and pleasures that few advances in technology have been able to duplicate"

"We never reach our goals in riding. Riding is like shooting a moving target, and if, and when, we hit the bull's eye, the thrills are incredible"
(Charles de Kunffy)

I love to train with my horse.

Most of the days things are working OK, with some ups and some downs.

Some days things are not working at all.

But SOME days, SOME days I dance with my horse.
Yesterday was one of those days .

I get all warm inside just by thinking of it.

Monday is my fun-day as I have my dressage lessons.
I am so happy for our instructor.
She is knowledgeable, explains things well, is sympathetic and pushes me a bit - just enough.
I need someone to help me strech our comfort zone.

Already from the start of the lesson Fame felt good.
She can tense up a bit, but yesterday she was all soft and with me from the beginning.

My instructor explained that the task for the day was to work with canter-walk-counter canter on the circle.
We agreed that in the counter canter Fame sometimes can get a bit fast and long, and that she is strong enough now to maintain the round form and keep the rythm, I just have to sit and collect a bit more.

She also said that we are now approaching the time to start with flying changes.

(I am not sure that I was totally with her there, but - we need someone to push us!)

So we started the work.

And this evening my racing queen from last week had metamorphosed into the queen of dressage canter.

I just sat there working with a huge grin on my face.

I don't know if it was the treat sessions from last week or what, but she was round and balanced, collected well, took right lead every time and with good canter departs.

The transitions canter-walk went well, transistions counter canter-walk was balanced but not always straight to walk. I have to perfect my aids there.

At the end Ingrid thought we should try a flying change.

My grin disappeared.

I haven't done them since I retired my old gelding, and that is 7 years ago.

I felt rusty to put it mild.

We first did half pass canter and then tried to place the change when returning to the track.

Fame kept the counter canter.

(Yepp, I am a good girl, and know what I am to do even if Mum does some stupid things up in the saddle. I'll just keep my balance here and maybe some treats are showing up in the end.)

So we changed tactics and tried from counter canter on the circle instead.

And we almost got it. A step of trot in between, but the change was clean.

And lo and behold. A carrot piece appeared. Or two.

(Might actually have been three, when I think about it.)

Salinero? Satchmo? Who's that?? This is just THE best horse in the world! Period.
A totally unbiassed conclusion from the happy owner