Here's a photo and video taken of my beautiful Violet on New Year's Day with her friend, Emily. She worked so kindly and gorgeously for her, except, of course, for a few obligatory battles at the gate! But not on this day! On New Year's Day, all she had for Emily was softness, roundness, and sweet quiet happy jumping skills. It was amazing.
As for me, I've been battling my poor girl for awhile now. I am not very soft, supple, obliging, or temperate. So, Violet often has a pretty harsh rider. I've made a commitment to try and improve myself. So, I have New Year's Resolutions to "Sit tall. Open shoulders. Elbows soft. Heels down." And I'm reading about how to train Hunters. I'm only two chapters into this one book and it described how to be soft with your hands on upward transitions, so the horse has a comfortable escape upwards and feels relaxed and free while still being on contact. How to do half-halts that really come from the legs and seat first. How to use indirect and direct reining, leg aids, and how to consider when and how to use long frame versus more collected or short frames. It was really an inspiring book.
So, yesterday, in our Thursday night lesson (I'm writing this entry on January 13th), I really tried to implement the few new things I'd learned. I chanted my New Year's Resolution out the entire time, I purposely gave her a long free rein at the start, letting her pick directions, I didn't punish her at the gates, and I tried always to sit up and be as soft as I could before going to the hands. And Violet was happy and relaxed for the whole lesson. She was happy to be on the rein in a long relaxed but feeling frame. We were great!!
And then we had a jumping exercise where we had a ground pole into a cross rail, a ground pole, an exit cross rail and an exit ground pole. We had to jump that several times without reins and use my eyes to get the lead. We were awesome. I felt like Kate Winslet at the front of the Titanic. Happy free flying. And I could just feel Violet's happiness too. She enjoyed the lesson and activity and enjoyed pleasing and being with me. Stacey even said each time that we looked great. One time she even shouted "Magnificent!" And she even said that my canter was "the best one" at one point. I mean, I was working my tail off at being soft soft soft, but there and centered. It's going to be hard long work to correct my hardness, my snatching, and my leaning, but I am committed to trying!