I can ride

So I had a one of those rides this evening where you say "yep I really do know how to ride." Magical... please let it burn into my brain so I can replicate it tomorrow.

I started the evening with a bit of an attitude. I got Blu ready for his lesson and brought him down to the indoor only to find another unscheduled trainer in the indoor providing a lesson to a small child on a pony and to make matters worse, she had two small fences set up. I had purposely checked the lesson schedule to make sure we were not going to run into this mess. I wanted a lesson dammit!!! Besides this trainer there was another who had regularly scheduled time and I expected her and her adult student to be present during my lesson. Besides all these lessons there were two other boarders attempting to school their horses in the middle of the mayhem. ARGHHHHHHHH...

So I said to myself, "Self, get over it and own the ring." So I did. I rode like no one else was there and did what I had to do to get my boy warmed up. He was perfect by the way only snarling once at the little pony who got way too close. Linda then arrived and while it was not conducive to her teaching, she got on and schooled the first half of the lesson. He was strong so it was probably a good thing that she schooled him. The ring cleared a bit and then I got on. From there the ride was spectacular!!!! Yes, he was still very strong but I owned the ride. Blu was strong in a good way and as Linda put it -- he is very fit and sound so it is time to expect Blu to be sharp about his responses to the aids. Game on Blu! He figured it out very quickly and it was almost as if he grew several hands taller. He was on fire! What a team! He loved the fact that we upped the game. My sitting trot was just the best. Our transitions were crisp and his canter work was perfect. We did some canter half pass that was poetic... fluid, no change in tempo, bending , no rushing or leaning. It was just the best I have ever felt. We did lots of transitions trot/halt/trot medium trot to passage to collected trot and this lovely trot lateral work -- shoulder-in to renvers/ shoulder-in to travers to half pass. I did not want to stop it was so magical.

Linda praised the ride and felt my position was very strong resulting in a beautiful partnership between the Biggers and me.

How lucky am I? (Just pinched myself!) OMG can we please replicate it???