Where’d February Go?!

I figured it was time for my usual game of catch up.  Since I’d last posted, I had a training ride on Libby by my trainer E.  I told her it was really up to her to decide what she wanted to work on with her, so she got on, and started to get a feel for her. 

Tired pony

Libby, realizing it wasn’t me on her back but someone who can actually MAKE her listen, protested for about half a second before realizing that that was more work than it was worth.  She decided to do mostly flat, and school her changes. 

She first asked her for a change very politely, on a straight path with lots of room, and Libby did what she’s been doing with me, and performed her “you can’t make me” change, change up front then behind a stride or two later.  After feeling what she was doing, my trainer made the plan to not give Libby the option of faking it, it had to be done correctly or not at all.  This meant if she felt she was connected and being laterally obedient, which is really the problem were having, then she’d ask for a change coming around a jump.  A lot less time for her to anticipate, and no time for her to do anything but change completely.  After trying that out a couple times, she threw in some on the straight away.  I don’t think until this ride I’d seen Libby do such clean changes.  They were so correct, back to front, no lag time. She had me get on then and test it out and sure enough I got the cleanest changes since owning her.  Figures.

After Mondays lead change high, I kind of left them alone.  I’m honestly so afraid that I’ll undo what progress she made, and I don’t want to let Libby get away with not doing them correctly anymore.  So we’ve been mostly focusing on flatting, and really engaging the hind end.

I also played around with bits.  I’m constantly looking for bits, and actually really love learning about the actions of all the different mouth and cheek pieces. 

For showing I was riding her in a jointed dee segunda wrapped up in sealtex.  The points are too much for her, but the port provided just the right amount of leverage.  Low and behold, the BO had a bit that she thought might work for me.  A segunda without points!  I’d never seen one before and immediately tried it out.  Libby went really well in it, came back to me really nicely and without getting offended.  So I went on a search to find one of my own, since they couldn’t remember where they’d gotten in.  Come to find out her bit is a custom bit valued at close to $400.  No freaking way can I spend that on a bit!

Custom stamping

In my search I found one comparable and with a more realistic price tag of $100, so I bought it.  It has a wider, deeper port, but still has no points, and it’s very light.  Libby actually went really well in it too, and I think she really like the sweet iron.  So yay for finding bits!  I actually really like the bit maker too so I think I might be making more purchases from him in the future. 

Bombers bit

So now its March and we’re all caught up.  It’s out annual tent sale at work this week, so I’m sure I’ll be SWAMPED at work until this weekend is over.  Which is terrible timing since this is also my spring break.  Libby gets her coggins pulled tomorrow and then Tuesday hopefully a lesson!