Take A Picture!!!

I vaguely remember some phrase from middle school about liking someone so much that you should 'take a picture, it will last longer!'.  It was meant in a snotty way when someone was staring at you, but holy cow I want a mental picture of yesterday's ride.  I want it to last forever.

I rode in the Barca Lounger Dressage Saddle yesterday.  I had to pull my stirrups two holes and even then, I lost them a lot.  I started out just really focusing on keeping my knees and thighs FAR AWAY from the saddle.  Then I focused on we MUST go actively forward.  If I felt like we were going too fast, it meant we probably had some forward.  

The most amazing piece of my ride was that when we truly had forward, suddenly she was an easy ride.  She naturally went round and on the bit, especially in the canter.  On the bit was no longer heavy in my hands, but a light contact, a conversation.

I can already tell the next piece of my journey will have something to do with figuring out how to ask my pony to move off my leg without suddenly gripping with my legs, but for the time being I'm just going to bask in forward.  Forward.  Forward.  Finally, forward!