I'll just stay in my chair

When you're bitten by the horse bug, you tend to have an almost uncontrollable desire to be on the horse, but when I went to Fifi's barn yesterday, that changed. I sat down right in my chair, writing notes and taking pictures, while my dear friend was tortured, er, I mean took a lesson. Her trainer makes her work, good lord, it's intimidating! As terrifying of an experience as it was, I enjoyed listening in to both Fifi's and Kellie's lessons (I also enjoyed just looking at Kellie, and I mean that in a completely not stalkerish, no homo way; she dresses nicely, and she likes my half chaps, so we're cool). I took lots of useful notes that I applied to my ride later that day.

They're a funny bunch at Fifi's barn. My friend Lee rides there too, and she was telling me about a Dom Schramm clinic that was supposed to happen this summer. Unfortunately, they won't do the clinic if there aren't enough people. Since its show season, a lot of people, me included, don't tend to do clinics this time of year. I need to get some more information on it, but hopefully I can do it. I like EventionTV. Dom seems like a funny guy, and it's only $80 a day. That's a steal for a clinic with a guy like him.

Ah, yes, the professional at work.

Moving on, we finished up at Fifi's barn, and we went back to mine. I rode Baby in her halter and a saddle. I had originally planned on doing a jumping exercise to work on my two point, but I figured I'd jump enough at the clinic on Tuesday, so I just did flatwork. I worked in a circle at the far end of the arena. My leg seemed quiet. I had Fifi video me, but I haven't looked at the whole tape yet. The first thing I focused on was bending in the corners. I thought about keeping myself centered with even rein contact and using my legs more. It wasn't perfect. Baby was staying in the corner, but she was leaning a lot, and it was even worse at the canter. It didn't matter how much inside leg I put on or how centered I tried to sit, she kept leaning, and it was both ways. At least she was slow both ways.

The two other things I worked on were what Kellie and Fifi were working on. Kellie was doing trot to halt transitions, which weren't a huge issue for Baby. I just had to be clear with my cue. Fifi was working on transitions from the walk to the canter then back to the walk, but there couldn't be any trot steps with either transition. The up transition wasn't bad, but the down transition? Fifi's trainer would have wrung my neck, or worse, make me do squats after my lesson (._.)