The bodybuilder and the dancer - and is it his rythm or mine?

I wasn't sure what exactly to expect today - the boys had time off due to the frigid weather, and Sundays at the barn are always very busy.

First thing we heard when we arrived was "watch out - everybody feels frisky today". And -oh no!- light and snow on the arena floor. I started with Remy, who hadn't been ridden all week (due to a business trip and then the inclement weather). To my surprise Remy went right to work on the longe line, not realizing that I would have forgiven him if he would have thrown in some exuberant bucks. That work ethic carried through into my ride, he was obedient and listening. With him the focus right now is on straight, connection, turns, stops. Remy's trot work was absolutely lovely. Our canter departs, however, are a work in progress. With a busy arena and snow sliding off the roof the smart thing was to end on a good note, and that's exactly what we did. I walked him out and continued to tell him the entire time how wonderful he is. This boy sure will not suffer from low self-esteem!

Speaking of low self-esteem: Yesterday I decided to let Saumur have a good roll in the indoor. Nobody was around so I just turned him loose. Well, Saumur took one look at the snow under the door and literally galloped into my arms. He put the sliding stop in just before slamming into me. Then he trotted to the far end of the arena for his roll. On one hand, it was nice that he came to me for comfort, OTOH - it's SNOW, for heaven's sake!

So, today we had snow and light under the door. Luckily I got on pretty relaxed from the good ride I had on Remy. Sandy reminded me that it is really important for Saumur that I talk to him. I have a hard time with that, as talking to a horse was a big No-No in my initial training, and also I feel a bit silly doing it. But Saumur has special needs - and so do I. The talking helps me to relax. Actually I just saw an interesting article in German magazine that covers that subject, now there are even voice coaches for riders! Sandy is -as usual- right on top of things. Saumur absolutely needs a leader, he is very smart, but he cannot deal with situations where he feels he is on his own. I have not always been that leader, when his reactions scared me I either over-reacted (too many one rein stops) or threw the reins away and let him do his thing. Obviously, neither is good training, and we got stuck numerous times because of that.

The other key is to stop when Saumur gets worried. Let him think about it and then continue. We were able to have a great lesson, with both of us staying relaxed and happy. It seems such a small thing, but for us it us absolutely huge. Sandy had us focus on the rhythm, that I am in charge of and not him. The question to repeat is always "is it his rhythm or mine?". And the answer is "it better be mine!".

I marvel at being fortunate to have two so different and wonderful horses. Our work with Sandy has shaped Saumur into a very muscular athlete whereas young Remy is the light-footed dancer. Now my job is to put some of Saumur's traits into Remy and some of Remy's traits into Saumur. No problem. The bigger question is: "How do I get some of Sandy's qualities into me??".