Progress and Sweaty Ponies

I did ride Sunday but with one thing and another, only just getting around to blogging about it. It was warm spring, almost summer like weather on Sunday and the clocks had gone forward so I was super tired. I opted to ride Topaz. We did the road route and follow for a short time then I had someone walking with me in lead file as Topaz's strides are so long. We had some awesome collected trots and I was being tested again on my diagonals. Got them all correct so I was very pleased. On our first attempt at a canter, as I think he was tired after his lesson he'd just had, we only got a few strides but with another ask he did go back into canter. I'm noticing more and more how collected and together I feel in the saddle. Even with small things like turning. On my next trots, not only did she want me doing my diagonals but she wanted me to get him into trot without using my lower legs and just my seat. I wasn't sure he'd do it for me. I've got Shadow before to go into walk without using my leg but into trot on Topaz who I have ridden much less than Shadow, I wasn't sure I'd get him to do it. But I did. Not just once either. On all our remaining trots, I got him into a good forward trot without using my legs at all. We did three canters today and my second was much better. The third and last was amazing. I did need to stay in my seat slightly more but I kept him going. Overall, it was a lovely ride and I couldn't believe how sweaty the horses had got. I guess with their winter coats just starting to shed, the temperatures we had over the weekend were too warm for our poor ponies. I rode both Saturday and Sunday in just my jodhpurs and T-shirt. It was amazing! So until next week. Marie