We Flunked the Test

Remember how awesome Lucy was on Sunday when I rode?  We ran through the test and pretty much nailed it.  It went so well that Brett said he would video my ride tonight after work.  I wore a green shirt to match Lucy's over-reach boots and used my saddle pad trimmed with green.  We were stylin'.  If I enter the Interdressage show I will need to send a video of us riding the test.

Problem was, Lucy is in heat.  She dozed at the tie rail and it was work to get her forward in the arena.  She preferred to amble and self-selected downward transitions.  When she woke up, she was in a grumpy mood.  Obedient?  Relaxed?  Harmonious?  Ha!  Lucy tossed her mane, swished her tail, farted -- a lot, and alternated between charging forward and sucking back.  Oy.

I rode the test just for the heck of it.  We were a total fail; careening up centerline, sliding sideways, and halting with Lucy's head in the air.  It didn't improve from there.

The thing with Lucy is that she has very good days and very not-so-good days.  I knew this when I bought her.  Sandy told me that some days we would have great canter work and some days Lucy wouldn't be able to settle.  I needed to be ready to change the game plan.  When Lucy has a bad day, I typically just ride until she relaxes and then call it quits.  No canter work, just trot.

After riding bombing the test, I worked with Lucy at trot until she relaxed.  Then I started the test again.  She still wasn't there.  I'm sure, too, that I was a bit frustrated and that she felt tension in me.  I let the goal of riding the test well get in the way of just focusing on Lucy and helping her relax.

We have a lot more work to do.