Involuntary Dismount!

Today I fell off Max for the first time!

It really wasn't a big deal but since it's our very first I thought I'd celebrate a little. Is it a bit odd that I'm riding some sort of high over the fact that I fell off my pony? I must really have a few bolts loose..

Well..here are the details if you care to read..

The day started out a bit chilly. I had a lesson at 10:15 so I took Max out and lunged him in the round pen for ten minutes. He had one hot moment transitioning into canter but for the most part he was good.

We then saddled up and headed out to the big outdoor ring. He's spooked in this ring before - but a different kind where he'd scooch sideways across the arena like a giant hairy crab.

This time the 'spook' was in the corner and he did a violent spin to the right, unseating me. The BO was there giving a lesson and she said he tried to catch me before I fell to the ground by stepping into and under me, but to no avail. At least he tried...I hope he felt bad about that...though I highly doubt it!

Helloooo down there! Is you okay?

Luckily I slid down the side of his neck and only really fell about a couple of feet. I got up and my BO was calling to me if I was okay and what happened? She asked if I wanted a leg up but I politely declined and hopped right back on him from the ground and put him back in that corner, determined to work things out.

At that point my trainer arrived and we started working on getting him to bend. She suspects that it wasn't so much as a spook as it was an evasion. It made sense, seeing how he started this behavior a few sessions earlier by pushing his shoulder in as we go to the left. With some good focused work on bending we managed to help him get over whatever issue he had with that corner.

Another thing she pin-pointed was that I wasn't getting a correct bend out of him. My outside reign was too loose so his neck was curling inward, but he was not truly flexing nor was his rib cage pushing out therefore not achieving true bend. I'm glad she checked me on that because I have a feeling this is how I've been riding him the last few times - eeks!

Boy..when I started to try do this right he was NOT happy. A lot of head tossing and trying to go faster. So we would transition into a trot, but still keep bend. He'd want to go faster..so okay..transition into the canter but hey guess what? He still had to keep working! When he realized this he decided that going faster was not going to get him out of work and actually working earned him a break.

Wow..did I learn A LOT! I love these lessons...I just wish I could afford to do more!

On another note, since it was a chilly and rainy day, I got to try on his new rain sheet! It looks soooooo cute on him!! I also brought an unfinished fly hat I'm crocheting for him, and was happy to see that it fits! Can't wait to finish it and embellish it with beads for next summer!