Progress Not Perfection

 The positive show experience really boosted my confidence that I was on the right track. And that I was making progress in small steps. 

The next weekend was our wedding anniversary and Ed and I went away for a weekend break. We rented a small cottage on the ocean with a hot tub and a sauna. It was lovely to get away and unplug for a couple nights. The first night we went out to dinner and the second we cooked at the cottage. 

We went to Carter's beach for a few hours

I came back feeling rejuvenated and ready to get back to things.  The weather has been lovely and I've been able to ride every day.  I've been continuing with the paying attention to the small things and not letting it slide.  

And wow it's working.  Quaid and I are cantering all over the place. His balance is really improving. I've been also focusing on half-halts. We walk-halt-walk-halt-walk-almost halt- walk on. Rinse, repeat. And then trying it at the canter. At first it was all very confusing to him and we had a lot of breaking into a fast trot and head flinging. But we found our groove. Not that it's perfect. But it's progress. 

true for all the disciplines I think

What I like is how easily he picks up the canter now and I'm sitting much better. And when it falls apart we regroup and get back to it. 

enjoying some pre-ride scritches

Carmen is also doing really well and she's down 90 pounds! I haven't had to a use a grazing muzzle which is great. Being able to exercise her helps a lot.  We're back to normal work and she feels great. There's much more push in her stride. I realised how much I missed riding her.  I also realised that time is ticking by and I have no idea how she'll be next year. So I signed us up to do a Freestyle in the show in September. I've noodled with the idea off and on but always bailed. Now I'm buckling down. 

And choreographing a freestyle is hard you guys. I measured out the timing of the music and asked Chat CPT to design one for me with the timing of X minutes trot/walk/canter.  I figured I could take it and edit it. Turns out that AI has zero idea how to design a freestyle. It was not just objectively bad, it was impossible. Like it thought that C was on the sides and put in a half-pass (which is illegal at our level) from C to C. It was kind of funny.  

In our rides we warm up and then I play the music and try out various configurations. Carmen has started to recognise the music and the transitions.  Either way it will be a lot of fun. 

I'm hoping that we'll have a lesson this weekend. I want Jane to see where we are. It feels like a good place.