Morning rides

Fawkes and I switched it up this week and went from our usual post-work rides to me getting up painfully early and riding before work.

While the early mornings are not usually my thing and it sucks when the alarm goes off, there are several advantages:

• First, obviously, is how much cooler it is in the morning.  Usually low 70s vs the 80s and 90s of 5-6pm.
• Less likely to be storming.  CO is notorious for afternoon thunderstorms.  At this time of year, pretty much every day you have about even odds of having downpours, hail, and/or electrical storms.  Yes, I have an indoor, but Fawkes lives outside and trying to drag your horse in during a hail storm sucks.  We are far enough west that we don't have much tornado risk, but the morning weather is much more consistent
• Though tired and under-caffeinated, I am not all tense from a long day at work.  Anxious horse doesn't need my added post work stress in his life.

Downside: Fawkes thinks he will literally DIE from being in the ring during breakfast.

They look so happy

This was our first week experimenting with it, and I am super grateful to my boss for allowing me to flex my schedule a little. I am salaried and always work greater than 40 hours a week, but still, not all places would let you shift your schedule several times a week.  

Monday, farrier came and put pads on.  I have never gone this route before and am hesitant, but I am told CO's ground is just so hard, I shouldn't read too much into it right now.  Farrier did say Fawkes was pretty sore in front and he doesn't have great soles so hopefully it isn't anything more sinister.

Wednesday we had a jumping lesson and worked on some bending lines as well as straight lines and single fences.  Not too much noteworthy, Fawkes was really good, my riding definitely feels like it is coming together, and my confidence seems to be improving as well.  We bashed one fence down when I "got fast with my shoulders" per my trainer (read: tried to climb into his ears) but other than that we were in a good place.  

Doh.  So close to being a really good picture too

Even did some course work, bending line to diagonal vertical to straight line. It seems like it is getting there, I hope we can keep progressing for awhile.

This morning it was all about getting some impulsion in the trot and then working on canter transitions.  I am not sure what has happened there.  When I first got him his transitions were ok, then they were awful, then they were good, and now they are meh.  So we will keep practicing until he is convinced he can pick up the canter with contact and with outside leg, like a real horse.  

Hopefully we can keep this morning riding thing up through the summer, will have to see how it works out with work but I am really liking it this week!