First of all, I have now been given tools by Essi (our coach) to ride Rainbow so that it is easier for her to follow my cues and also to relax. I have learned to 'create a frame' and make Rainbow stay within it. Now, when I say these things I am of course very aware I'm still not a pro but do stick with me.
Basically I finally feel that when I ask Rainbow to collect she can do it authentically and I have the tools to make her movement 'upward' rather than merely adding speed and staying hollow – something she's been 'allowed' to stay way too long (well, I am not a pro...). Some hard work with Essi has gone into it and of course we're not ready, nowhere near, but this is a definite milestone for me. I now am able to ride Rainbow and ask her to work in collection throughout the session I ride her. We are now raising trot in collection and she is finding the muscles to do so. I am now able to feel the nuances in her body to know how to ask and how to persist (if not successful) at first and get her to do it and also give the reward for the correct action. I think working for her is nicer when she is using herself properly.
The video below has been filmed about 2 weeks ago now, so while it looks good, I would say it's gotten even better ;)
Video (c) Essi Antila
To top it off we moved yesterday. We only moved to a yard which nearby to the old one, but the facilities are fantastic. I never would have thought I would hop on and ride her the same day in the new indoor school as we had only arrived at the yard, but this – I realised – was a valuable real-life lesson in something I have never really been 100% sure of – as I had never tried it yet – that my horse is the most level-headed horse one could wish for. She loaded fine (a little hesitation but I had Essi helping – I had never loaded a horse, so a first for me too!) and travelled to her new home. Our friend moved her horse as well, so admittedly the two mares moved together. But nevertheless... Rainbow walked into the new stable without further ado, buried her face in hay and looked like she had always been there. We carried all the paraphernalia in and put it all in their new places... Then Essi and Hilja said, right, let's go ride. I hadn't planned to do so (I don't know why) but I could not not go when 'others' went, so we tacked up and walked into the new manege. It's the poshest indoor school I've ever been to and I don't quite feel worthy of it. The base is to die for, just perfect. Sand, but hard enough to give nice bounce to the horse and make movement, oh so, easy...
Rainbow was a bit alert because of the new place, of course, but we walked around the school from the ground for about 10 mins and only once could feel her neck muscles relax, I hopped on. She listened to me well and didn't do anything stupid. In fact, she was moving well and I managed to ride her a nice long session without much further thought to being in a new place. The weather yesterday was awful, so we could even hear the wind howl outside and the rain pounding on the roof, but Rainbow didn't as much as occasionally move her ears around a bit.
So, this basically gave me good insight into how she is in a new place, truly – because when she moved to Finland, she'd been on a lorry for a week, so she was probably quite used to it by the time I greeted her in Finland – and what it is to ride her in a new arena straightaway. This has given me confidence to consider competitions outside our yard, as I now really know she is so easy-going. Also, of course, I must point out that perhaps, by now, also we know each other well and Rainbow considers me 'hers' too, so she trusts me. She let's me lead her around a new place and trusts that I don't put her in harm's way.
Recently, I have to tell this; she has started neighing/whinnying whenever I arrive to see her. That's nice to notice. Melts my heart.
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