Now, I'm not a fabulous rider, nor am I anything special, but this mare and I just clicked. I get on and warm up, and she feels pretty good. A little wary of the far end of the arena with the people and chairs and tables, but we get down there (G couldn't get her down the long side of the arena to that end for a month) and get stretched out. Good mare.
I pick up the headset and tell JW that I have ridden this horse once and haven't been doing much in the way of riding in the past few months. JW actually had Water as a sales horse years ago and remembered some of her quirks. As we get going, the name of the games becomes "put your effing hands down." This mare fidgets like an ADD toddler. In order to not feed into her little dramas, I had to put my hands down and let her run into the bits until she settled and came round into the contact. Once she did...it was awesome!
The week before, I'd played a little with her lateral work (she's been shown to 3rd Level). The trot half passes/SI/travers/renvers were easy. She felt like a little sports car. In the canter work, I wasn't able to get her to settle enough to go lateral without throwing her head up and worrying herself out of it. JW had us play with little leg yield to and off the wall in the canter while maintaining a "normal" canter in order to kind of loosen her up. We got to a place where playing in the canter felt like a real possibility. Little off the wall, little to the wall, then straight.
The verdict? I love this mare and want to take her home with me. Sadly, there is just no way to fund it. I did like hearing G say that Water loves me best though ;) Hopefully I can catch a few more rides on her, and I hope the perfect person comes along for her. She's a fancy little thing and I think she could go far!
