The scale actually moved down a pound today.  I could not believe it. I had just finished telling Andrew, “If this thing refuses to budge again today, I am throwing it out and buying a new scale.”  Begrudgingly, I guess I must admit that my scale works.

I was unbelievably sore today from the horsey antics of yesterday, but I rode both Filigree and Marcos.  Marcos was a lamb.  He tries so hard to be pleasing and to understand what is expected of him.  We spent the whole ride working on shoulder in in all three gaits.  He needs to rebuild his strength and endurance.

I have not been in training with KYB for a year now.  I am riding on my own these days for the first time in years, and I am really learning a lot from it.  I am sure I am making lots of mistakes, and I am sure I would progress faster with a trainer.  However, I am learning to be more self reliant and that is at least as important.

Filigree was an absolute beast today, at least twice as bratty as yesterday.  I had purchased a copper mouth eggbutt snaffle for her because she has been so soft in the bridle.  First, I hate eggbutt snaffles and I will never use one again.  The loose ring snaffle is so much more nuanced and conversational.  The eggbutt snaffle feels like a dead end to me.  From Fili’s perspective, an eggbutt snaffle is apparently a green light to ignore the bridle completely.  After 20 minutes of wondering if I had any brakes at all, I brought her back to the barn and switched her back into an ordinary loose ring snaffle.  It was an improvement, but she was still super bratty, kicking out at my leg and every time I touched her with the whip, giving some little saucy bucks.  We worked on 1,000 miles of leg yields and then canter-trot-halt transitions.  I am exhausted.  I hope she is, too, but I am afraid I barely scratched the surface.

Here is the report:

Palomo arrived safely in Florida with Jamie today, sweaty and thirsty but in apparently good shape.

I have one tip for my rider-friends and then I have to go get ready to go to my mom’s house for dinner.  Work-out leggings are just as good, and more comfortable, than riding breeches.  And they cost about $24 instead of $300+.  I will never buy expensive breeches again.

Hope y’all enjoyed your Sunday and wishing you a productive week ahead in the final stretch before Christmas.