So I'm riding with Patti Conte now, a local hunter trainer with thirty years of experience under her belt. I've known her from here and there-she is campaigning a 17.2 gray TB.. kinda hard to miss-, and looked at one of her horses a while back- a gorgeous little black TB mare, who was a little more horse than I wanted.
And boy, for someone as exuberant and goofy as she seems when she ISN'T teaching, she can really put a whoopin' on her students. I do believe she told me something like, "I am going to smash you up into little tiny pieces and put you back together again. Now get those shoulders back!" or something to that effect. Which is perfect- just what I need. Another trainer to really get after me.
And with a veteran hunter, comes all sorts of fun little tricks. Buttons I didn't know my four year old baby even had... like a spur stop. WTF. That explains so much. She kind of left it up to me whether I wanted to use it or not, which I can understand as it *is* kind of controversial. I don't know. It's handy to have in the tool kit, for sure, and it's definitely a good safety thing. I just have to wonder who broke my little mare like that? Yett is an eventer. Hmm. Will the wonders never cease??
Apparently, she also knows that a kiss means "Lope. NOW." We were going through all her little buttons and tricks, and so Patti had me ask her for a slow canter from a halt. And yep, a kiss and she was off. That isn't to say we don't have stuff to work on, though. The little booger is so smart that she started anticipating transitions AFTER OUR FIRST TIME AROUND. What a snot *eyeroll.* Lol, at least she's willing.
Clucks to trot, not so much. We have to work on that. Also, she will throw her shoulder out and drift wherever she pleases if I let her. I have to remember my outside aids when she does that, which is so friggin' hard all of a sudden. Mreh. Time and practice. I think she just knows what she can get away with, haha. Like how my rubber reins get slippery, and she knows she doesn't have to halt if she conveniently pulls down when I say,"Whoa." So we are going to ride with gloves, like non-hooligans.
So I have a fun little repertoire of things to work on this week. She is brilliant with her frame- I tend to keep her flexed a tad to the inside, but when I let go, she will level herself out and swing. It's lovely, and I had been messing with it with a bad habit... hrm. Also, my freakish lower leg: since doing all manner of crap without stirrups for twenty minutes a day isn't helping (although I will say I am in fabulous shape, haha), she prescribed half-seat. Every ride. The whole ride, if I can keep her going well. It will reward her back, encourage me to keep my hands even, and force me to quit rotating my leg, which is just habit, I guess, since I *can* fix it when I really concentrate. I'm glad I don't have shows coming up, at least not for a few weeks.. man, the calendar is filling up, haha.
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