Counting Changes

My favourite thing about Thunder's new energy level - since switching onto the Stud Time and doing a lot more lungeing - isn't just that he can perform all of his work with so much more activity and so much less work on my part. My favourite thing about it is that Thunder suddenly loves to work.

Not to say that Thunder never liked work - he's always been absolutely willing, a comment we get over and over on our dressage tests - but he always seemed to be getting on with it in an obliging sort of way, like he was doing it because I asked. Even on a good day, he never really put in more effort than I was asking for (and on a bad day, he would be flat-out resistant). It frustrated me so much because I couldn't figure out what was wrong and had spent so much money trying to find and address the cause, and in the back of my mind there was always the niggling thought that maybe he had some kind of catastrophic unsoundness and I just hadn't found it yet. But all that is behind us now. I have a sparkly, spicy Thunder who actually gives me a hard time if I've let him have a few days off, instead of a ploddy Thunder dutifully going through the motions, and I love it.

I mean just look at that perfect animal

I can even ride him without whip or spurs these days - something that would have been completely unthinkable six months ago. Or even four months ago. Even his habit of kicking at my leg in frustration has disappeared. Instead, I have a bright-eyed boy who marches off eagerly from the mounting block and doesn't take any excuse to flop into walk. He occasionally squeals and bucks on the lunge on a cold morning (again, previously I had to CHASE him even to get him to canter), and gives me a walk to canter on the lunge from a quiet voice command. It's amazing. I'm delighted!

and his butt is normal again!! Also he's much more trim than he has been in the past, and I'm trying to put a little bit more weight on him, but not too much. He actually looks very nicely athletic to me right now

He has also perked up a lot since his skin recovered from that disgusting reaction he had in January. He wasn't depressed, particularly, but it must have been itchy and bothersome. Now, every part of his body that is covered by the fly sheet, boots and fly mask has almost completely recovered, even the hair growing back nicely. But the areas that stick out - his forearms, hind legs, and the gap on his jaw between the fly mask and the neck of the fly sheet - are now scabby, itchy, and bleeding. I drench those areas in fly spray and it does seem to be helping a little, but basically now we're just waiting for winter. Poor guy.

This entire area was completely bald and raw in January

Anyway, all that to say that Thunder feels amazing in his body and mind right now. We're ticking over nicely on a schedule that seems to be working - 3 schooling rides each week, plus 1 day lungeing, and then if by some miracle I haven't missed any sessions, the fifth day is just stretching or jumping or fooling around without a bridle. And we're making some really nice progress.

still trying to grow out his mane even though the fly sheet rubs the elastics out every. single. day.

We are still competing at Elementary-Medium, technically, although I hope for this weekend to be our last EM show before dipping our toes into the daunting waters of Medium. (It should be, since we only need two scores over 60%, unless something explodes or my brain trickles out of my ears). At home, we've been playing with the Advanced tricks, continuing with my everlasting struggle to ride quality gaits, and working through the Medium tests. We're busy with Test 4 (of 6) now and it includes a four-loop serpentine with flying changes over the centreline, as well as a rather thrilling little start: A, enter collected canter; X, halt, immobility, salute. The canter to halt proved to be much easier than I thought it would be, and once it clicked in his brain he started doing it very nicely.

Also had to move him back out to the foaling box he had in winter because he kept escaping his stable in the barn and then letting everyone else out of their stables too - pandemonium ensued

The changes are a slightly different matter. Not that he doesn't like the changes - in fact, it's the complete opposite. Thunder has decided that he FREAKING LOVES the flying changes. Where he used to get tense and rushy and kick at my leg through each change, he now has the strength, energy and balance to do them easily and cleanly. The straightness in his shoulders and suppleness in his neck that he was missing really helped to make them effortless, and he pricks up his ears the moment I start preparing him for the change.

The only trouble is that he gets a bit overexcited at times. To add to this, Coach J also encouraged us to play with the tempis a bit, and Thunder VERY quickly learned to count and does better 4-tempis and 3-tempis than he does single flying changes, because he thinks he is amazing and brilliant and an FEI horse now (I don't give him any reason not to think this). So when we start doing the serpentine, with only seven or eight strides of collected canter between changes, he thinks it is time for the tempis. If messy 4-tempis on a serpentine were a GP movement, my horse would be in the Olympics. I think he thinks he is in the Olympics. He feels so confident and sassy that I kind of feel bad for shutting him down and saying that no, sir, actually we have to do one at a time and remain civilized throughout. He doesn't lose balance, exactly, he just gets hotter and hotter to my aids until, by the last loop of the serpentine, he is LEAPING through his changes and tossing in a few celebratory bucks just because.

I love this new, enthusiastic Thunder so much.

We did eventually get a very nice, civilized serpentine with changes so obedient, rhythmic and smooth that I actually had to look down to make sure they had happened at all (I'm such a newb). In fact it almost feels like we could go out and ride Medium 4 tomorrow and not make a total idiot of ourselves, even though the extended trot is still not really on the menu for us. Considering that the medium is a desperately flailing movement at what feels like top speed for us both and still garners a 6.0, "needs more ground cover", I'm not currently holding out much hope for the extended.

The half-pirouettes in walk continue to plague my poor empty brain as well. Coach has me practice quarter pirouettes on a square and those seem to go just fine, but as soon as they become half pirouettes I panic. I think most of this is in my head right now because Thunder has abandoned his old swinging, pivoting ways and really listens to my aids (most of the time) these days. It's stuck in my head that I'm no good at them so I just panic and flail. (This is a recurrent theme - sorry Thunderbirdy. Coach J has been known to pet Thunder's face affectionately and tell him "You must be patient with your mother, she's crazy.")

It is with intense gratitude that I say that my horse has infinite patience and that I'm enjoying him more than ever before these days. He starts my day off on the right foot every morning with his gentle eyes and his new exuberance for the dance.

God is so good.