Summertime Silliness

 Last weekend Oregon got a much needed reprieve from summer. Friday was cooler, and storms started rolling in late Saturday, with some heavy thunderstorms (complete with water spouts over the ocean and in the Columbia and an EF0 tornado) on Sunday and Monday. Cinder and I had a nice ride on Friday, but on our walk around the property to cool out, she kept spooking at some plants. 

Dead plants must have ghosts coming from them

The plants were next to the shedrow stalls, which have been empty since the fall. I was slightly frustrated that Cin would spook at the plants that have been there for literal months, but then I realized that a new horse had moved into those stalls earlier that week and Cinder was probably not used to hearing horses in there anymore. My bad Cin. 

Cinder had Saturday off, and when I driving up to the barn on Sunday my gut was telling me not to ride. The temp had dropped like 25*, I got stuck in some pouring rain, and when I got to the barn no one else was there except the hay guy delivering hay. I tacked up anyway, but after three laps walking around the indoor with Cin spooking, snorting, and spinning at anything and everything I got off. It was obviously One of Those Days and I knew we wouldn't have a successful ride. I gave her a nice long free lunge, did a little ground work to make sure her brain was somewhat reinstalled, and called it quits. 

Monday was more of the same, weather wise, but I had a lesson and figured if Cinder was going to be silly stupid, at least we'd have help. Trainer A had me ride in the Dr. Bristol bit, and I don't know if it was the bit, the free lunge the day before, or some combination of the two, but Cinder was awesome. She felt much more settled and with me as soon as I got on. We had a flat lesson, staying on a 20m circle for the most part, working on learning how to ride her in this bit vs the mullen mouth. I can take more of a feel with the Dr. Bristol and push her forward from my leg more, especially in the canter. We're going to keep riding her in the Dr. B bit for now, but do some easy ride/trail rides in the mullen to switch it up now and then.