Flying

This morning, Lucy was in an affectionate mood.  I lay the side of my face against hers -- my cheek to her forehead -- and we stood that way a long time.  When I tacked her up, she opened her mouth for the bit and when I mounted, she stood quietly while we drank in the morning.  It was a particularly gorgeous morning with golden light under the cloudy sky.

Lucy was stretchy, bendy and obedient; forward without rushing; in front of my leg and prompt in our transitions.  We played with lateral work and then our three canters.  Her working canter was wonderful, her extended canter felt like flying -- we winged our way down the long side; Lucy reaching and stretching, digging in and pushing -- but with one ear on me "you okay up there?"  And I was very okay, feeling like a million bucks with a grin from here to France on my face.

We worked in extended canter on the long sides, working canter on the short sides and in 15m circles, and in collected canter on 20m circles -- she was gold.  Hmmm, I thought.  I wonder....  we tried a flying change.
Mind you, Sandy told me that she had been told Lucy could do them but Sandy never really worked on them with Lucy.  There was that whole rushing issue and Lucy doesn't have the best x-rays for her joints so Sandy didn't want to push it.

I didn't push it either.  I just asked.  Once.  And she did it!  Not clean -- but still.  My very first flying change that I asked for.  I don't count the ones that happened on Auke -- he was just being a silly youngster, changing at will for the fun of it.

It was an excellent way to start the day.  Right, Kersey?  She loves spending time on the front porch.