Hacking Panda Out on the Grand Prix Field

Friday I decided to ride out to the grand prix field since the weather was beautiful and there were no geese in sight.

I like getting out of the ring every once in a while, I think it's much easier to feel how the horse is moving their body when not influenced by the walls of an arena to guide them.

Panda was pretty excited when we first started but it only took a couple laps around the field before she settled down and dropped into the bit. Riding outside really makes me focus on using my outside aids, especially since Panda is a little reluctant to turn away from home. It was good practice for me to guide with my leg and keep Panda from bulging out around the corners.

I've also been trying to add in a little lateral work into each hack and Panda has been much more responsive to my leg after working on it. It's not perfect but she's much more willing to move off my leg than when I first started.

    

Towards the end of the hack Robyn started getting really creative with the camera but I think these shots are really interesting.

By the end of the hack Panda was pretty relaxed, even going towards the barn.

I had no idea my breeches were this dirty...

Overall it was a great day and I'm so happy to be able to ride such a lovely horse. There really isn't much that phases her and that really lets me focus on improving my riding technique without having to worry about the environment.

No barn days are complete without spoiling Panda with some homemade horse treats. I haven't found a snack she won't eat, but I like to think she likes these ones the most.

Click here for my recipe for homemade "Rainbow" horse treats

Hope everyone has a great weekend and makes the most out of this great weather.

Wednesday Hacking Recap 4/20/16 and Some Candids

Today I finally remembered to bring my camera to the barn since I've been wanting to take some pictures now that the weather is nice. Luckily my friend Danielle was free and agreed to take some pictures of me and Robyn hacking (Yay, and thank you!!)

After an intense de-shedding/grooming sesh, I wanted to go over some of what we practiced in my last lesson, large figure 8's and making sure Panda was well balanced and correctly bent the entire time.

Panda looking fancy

Panda was pretty good from the get go and we only had to make two large eights before I was satisfied with the balance we had and the quality of our bending. I still have some trouble keeping her off my inside leg when were tracking right and going towards home, but we've improved a bunch.

Robyn rode Gator and has been practicing similar things with him (keeping him balanced with an even tempo and working into a frame).

 It's so nice to have people around my age to ride with, and since we're working on similar things, we can give each other feedback too.

Gator is such a cutie.

Towards the end of our hack it started getting pretty dusty in the outdoor but I think it provided an interesting contrast in a couple of the photos Danielle took.

I love Panda's expression in this picture

(I also noticed I make some really interesting faces when I ride . There were many more but I'll just leave this one right here.)

Cute, real cute...

And now for some of the candids before and after the ride.

Panda being affectionate <3

Gator nuzzling Robyn

Jumps are friends, not food!

Birdie is just too adorable

Congratulations! You made it to the end of the post without dying of boredom!

Panda is NOT amused.

Hacking Outside

Today was the first time I was able to hack out at the barn and it was GLORIOUS!! While the indoor is huge it's nice to get outside for some fresh air.

Panda has been a great confidence giver for me these last few weeks and I'm really enjoying focusing on having fun and relaxing at the barn. I'm really excited for the show season to start and I'm going to   a couple of schooling shows before it starts since I feel like I've been out of the loop for forever.

 I also got the chance to apply my Personally Preppy helmet monogram and I LOVE IT! I'm really happy I went with the 2.5" instead of the 2", I feel like its the perfect size.

Panda was looking for mints after our hack which resulted in some adorable/funny pictures of us, she can be so sweet.

Hope everyone else was able to get outside today and enjoy the fabulous weather. I'll be super happy if this continues and even gets warmer.

Follow me on instagram @rocky092 to check out more of my photographs and posts.

Special thanks to my hubby Nick for coming out to take these sweet pics of me and Panda.