Finally.

It finally cooled off enough for me to ride and not feel guilty for making her work a little.

And just to note, this is the first time in the 10 years I've owned her, I've ever had her throw a shoe. The asst. barn manager(I guess thats what she is) came over as I was bringing her out to let me know that the farrier already knew about it and was coming out on or before Wednesday to put it back on. Great, I thought, so if she's off, I don't get to ride anyway and if she's off and a demon, I definitely won't be getting on, lol. She wasn't off.

I was surprised, and very happy, that she was really good. And she's in heat. It's horrible to think that I honestly can't remember the last time I rode her, which means it was a long while ago. Spring, anyway, right before thesis and graduation stuff and job hunting started to encroach on me, I'm sure. 

I brushed her, took the bands out of her mane (yea, training it has never gone well, and this time is no exception, it instantly flopped to the wrong side in about 3 places). Then I wrapped her front legs and put her bridle on. After throwing her on the lunge line for 5 minutes to w-t-c and warm up her back, and then letting her go around for a few more minutes with the saddle on to make sure she wouldn't be stupid and try to kill me, I got on. Uneventful. It's funny. Every time (since we moved to Florida, anyway) she's gone for an extended period without me getting on her, I wonder just how bad she's going to be. I'm always thinking in the back of my mind, is she going to pull some of her old rodeo antics? or is she going to do nothing? And, she keeps surprising me; she keeps telling me she's grown up. And, she's had so much time off, there's no possible way her back is sore anymore. I know it used to get sore when we were showing, particularly the week after a show.

She *thought* about bucking with the saddle on, on the lunge line, had her butt gathered under her, ready to let loose, I said, No, you're fine, and then I could see the  thought change - maybe because she knew it would mean she had to work  harder. Or maybe she believed me. 

The girth extender thing, by the way, was great. Really easy to use, and I didn't feel like I was killing her to get the girth done on both sides. I had no idea just how fat she was until I got on her, though. Oh...my...god. She's huge. Most of it is hay belly, and lack of work. I hope, even with just riding a couple times a week, it will start to shed off. I hate to cut her grain again, she's only getting about 1 cup a day, total, as I cut her way back when I started the Graphic Design program two years ago and knew I wouldn't be riding much. And I won't take her lunch hay away from her. She's always been obese, even at her fittest. Very weird.

Anyway. We didn't do much in the 40 minutes I was on her. Mostly walk, getting her to soften and not blow through my aids. She comes right back into a frame and moves under herself pretty well for being so unfit. We did a few lateral movements at the walk, trying to get her to come under herself even more. We worked mostly on a circle outside the arena (I prefer this open space to the arena, and so does she) and did a few laps around the paddock. She spooked at one point and almost threw me out of the tack. That's what I get for not paying attention, right? And who keeps a wooden palette outside of an arena? lol. This is when I started working with Mugwump's ideas. Other than rebalancing myself in the saddle, I ignored the fact that she spooked. When we came around the second time, I held my outside rein firm, my outside leg remained open to encourage her body to move away from my inside leg, which pressed, asking her to bend around it and listen to my aids, not the scary piece of horse-eating wood. It worked. We walked around a third time, and I did the same thing, but less. I let her have a little more freedom. No spook. Perfect. We tried the other direction, and in that corner, I again asked her to bend around my inside leg and come into my outside rein, my outside leg supported her body, and let her create the curve. 

And we did about 5 minutes of trot, total. And no canter. She tried to stop and flirt with the morgan gelding that was being worked - that was annoying. I hate when she's in heat to the point that she gets slutty. lol.

But, I spent most of the ride trying to remember to try some of Mugwump's training suggestions. Mostly the principle that even the slightest response gets rewarded. I did this in trying to get her to soften her mouth. I'd hold until she relaxed even a little, and then release. If she went back where she had been, rather than staying there, I'd do it again. By the time I asked her to trot, she was very soft in my hands - both hands, normally she pulls on the left, and her head and neck were perfectly centered between them. She relaxed, started to come up into the saddle, pushing from behind, and stayed at a really nice, soft, slow hunter trot. 

It wasn't a perfect ride by any means. She's fat, and unfit - hell, so am I. But, considering time off, etc...it was great. She felt great. I am looking forward to riding again.