Entertainer

I rode ET today. This was the first time I’ve ridden all week because of the cold. Although with the combination of the heaters in the indoor and the workout he gives you, it could have been summer in there. I was a little nervous to get on, not because he scared me, just because I always have the thoughts of “what if I can’t get them to do this, or what if I completely suck,” but the second I got into the saddle I knew it would be fine. He is the kind of horse that will take care of his rider for sure, but also knows enough stuff to engage the rider and really make them work for it. And that he did.

I started the ride letting him stretch and then quickly picked him up. At first I could feel he was really spread out and not under himself or collected. When I picked up a whip he immediately moved off of my leg better. I worked on some transitions and really getting my position correct and using my aids correctly. After picking him up and using my abs and keeping my elbows at my side, I also used leg and whip to get his hind end moving. There were moments right after that, that he felt like he was dancing and holding himself. And about two seconds later it was gone. But as the ride continued he got better and better at that. I think he is out of shape and it’s a challenge for him to hold it and really pick himself up in that frame for too long. I also noticed that after a walk break he would be a lot better, but then die out again. We also worked on my posting and lengthening my leg and posting not from my heals. I think I tend to want shorter stirrups so that I do feel like I‘m reaching, but that makes me post bigger. Posing should not be huge. I think it’s a balance thing, and it seems to get better when I take my feet out of the stirrups and stretch.

The one thing I did not like about him was his lack of forwardness. I believe that this could be fixed, and that it just makes all of the other work more challenging. Towards the end he did seem to get more forward and that made him a lot looser. I know in the training scale the first step is rhythm, and that rhythm includes forward. Not necessarily faster, but on your aids and responding to the leg. He certainly is talented enough to go along and fake the work, but I don’t want that. I want him to be off my leg, I don’t want to beg him for every step. It’s pretty clear that people do that, as it takes a whole lot of unnecessary work to get him forward.

Other than the forward issue, he was great. I’m excited to keep riding him and get to make improvements on myself that will transfer to Duncan.