Riding Heddvig several weeks in a row is definitely giving me more of a handle on how to ride her more effectively. I brought a shorter whip this time, and that certainly helped keep her from rushing ahead too much. Her walk was more settled, and the trot as well, at least initially. Once she’s been working for a while, she gets more keyed up. And then, of course, when she gets tired she’ll run to avoid work as well. But she is certainly a good deal more fit than when she first came to the stables.
We started off just working on riding good corners; just the right amount of bending for the chosen path, good balance, no change in pace or rhythm. Easier said than done, and I was surprised to find it rather more difficult to the left than to the right even though Heddvig’s left side is her softer side. And when we moved onto canter circles (we actually ended up stuck there the rest of the lesson), I found the same oddity there. Most horses with canter issues seem to have an easier time to keep cantering to the side that is stiffer; the canter often feels more awkward, but they can do it for longer. Heddvig, however, had her usual issues cantering to the right, she needed a tap with the whip on her shoulder to start cantering and she couldn’t hold it together for too long. To the left, however, she actually managed without the help of the whip, and it seemed rather more stable too.
Afterwards she was quite steamy, so she’d put in some good work. And tried to kill a few other horses in the process, of course. Oh, and Murphy? Seems to be responding well to his treatment so far, so that’s good news.