Assist Me

 Trainer M's program includes two assistant trainers, ML and N. ML usually teaches the beginners, while N usually plays more of a barn manager/show groom role and teaches when M is on vacation. Well, Trainer M has been on vacation for the last week and a half, so not only have we had our first lessons with both ML and N, but Cinder has been ridden by both of them as well. For those that are counting, N was person #4 to ride Cin, and ML was #5. 

sharing the last of the show pics

I was a touch skeptical going into my lessons with both AT ML and AT N, mainly because I haven't really seen them teach much. I have seen N ride, and she's a very soft, sympathetic rider so I figured she'd be ok with Cin. I got good reports back on Cin's pro-rides; she did try to pull some "who the hell are you" shit with N, but they worked through it. ML told me she's a sucker for a chestnut mare and prefers the hunters, so she loved Cinder. ML also took Cin out on her first trail ride around the property and said she was perfect. 

I've have enjoyed my lessons with both ML and N. The weather's been cold and rainy, so we've been focusing on pole and cavaletti work in the indoor. We struggled a bit in our lesson last Thursday doing a  quasi circle of death, it was cavaletti on the short side, to a cavaletti bounce, two strides to another bounce on the long side, ground pole on the short side, to another cavaletti bounce then a short five strides to a ground pole on the other long side. Cinder said no thanks, that's a lot of work, and kept trying to duck out to the left when we were tracking right. N mentioned that I was dropping my inside shoulder, which I've heard plenty of times before, but suggested I think about dropping my outside shoulder to square myself up and help hold a counter bend so Cin can't run out to the left, and I've never heard it phrased like that. It really helped. I have to remind myself that it's good to lesson with different people, even if it's just to hear something I've heard dozens of times said in a different way that makes more sense.