Is It Spring??

So last Thursday a bunch of us headed over to Horse In Hand Ranch again to jump lesson there. Sunny was AWESOME. Like seriously super awesome, relaxed, listening, everything I need her to be. My coach had me raise my stirrups up a hole and actually carry my hands, and those little things made a world of difference! I'm so used to Sunny screwing around while jumping, that I had totally gotten into the habit of just bracing into her neck with my hands for like 3 or 4 strides on the landing side, because that's when she'd flip, is right after a fence. Jesus what a difference once I picked my hands up and actually RODE instead of just sitting there!

Look!! No crazy helicopter tail!! :D

Sunny's been REALLY good lately. The barn has finally opened up the field, I've been doing lots of flatwork out there, going to start some actual conditioning work in a couple days! I can't believe how much Sunny has changed over the winter. WE ALMOST HAVE A NECK!!! She's actually super muscley and really fit coming out of the winter, this really has been the winter of dressage!. But her canter is amazing now! She can slow down and sit right down, and stay balanced, her trot is so much better, and she's really starting to lift her back! When I'm riding I'm always going "Wait, is she pooping?" and looking back, because that is exactly what it feels like, haha. Soooooo much progress, I'm super excited for eventing this summer! It's exactly one month till Beaumont, the first event, and I send my entries in the other day!!!! :D
Tomorrow I'm going to school cross country for the first time this year!! Yay!! A friend and I are heading down to Alhambra tomorrow after work, I am super excited:)

This was from the schooling day at Horse In Hand, what a gorgeous facility! Sunny and her paddock buddy Uma, on the left, were chilling in style after our ride:)  
So since the field opened up at my barn I've been doing a ton of just hacking around at the beginning and end of my rides. That crazy red mess is where I do my flatwork in the field, haha. This is a pretty typical ride, pretty crazy that I can go nearly 7 miles on any given day:P  
Couple of shots from my ride, it is ALMOST spring here!! Alberta's a little slow:P  

I took Sunny out to graze while she dried off after I worked her today:) Thank god the grass is finally growing! And I just realized that the line down Sunny's neck from where I clipped her is pretty much invisible now! She's still shedding like mad though.