Best Riding Ever!

 Yesterday, Laura said that I rode the best that she has ever seen me ride! I was light, soft, and in balance, which caused Lucky to also be balanced and soft. Everything seemed so effortless; it felt incredible. It's rides like these, when everything comes together, that makes all the hard work worth it. Granted, there were a few sticky spots when I became crooked and out of balance, consequently causing Lucky to become unbalanced, but for the most part things went brilliantly. Everything I've been learning just came together and clicked, and I was riding better than I've ever had.

 Lucky was so responsive to my aids, that I tried to find out how light I could make my aids, as if hiding them from any observer. The answer? I could be lighter and softer than I ever thought I could. It didn't take much to get Lucky to become round and responsive to my aids. I rode several serpentines during the lesson, softly changing bend as the direction of each circle on the serpentine changed.

Here I am about to change bend, turning to make a right circle at A on the serpentine.

 I even rode the serpentine in my two-point position, first riding just part of it in the two-point and the rest in rising trot, and then riding any entire serpentine, all in two-point. Since my hands were on Lucky's neck to prevent me from leaning on her mouth, I tried turning her using just my body legs. It worked! All I had to do was look in the direction I should go, turning my body slightly, and Lucky listened. When I successful turned her without hands, I asked her for a the some flexion as well. It was an amazing feeling when both Lucky and I were balanced, and I could feel her back swinging beneath me.

Two-point on the serpentine

Her canter, too was lovely and balanced. There were a few times after the downward transitions from canter when we became a bit disorganized and unbalanced, but I worked through those few sticky spots, reestablishing the forward rhythm returning to the soft, balanced place again. 

 Finally, to end incredible ride, I rode Lucky in the free walk across several diagonals and on loops(HXK and FXM). I let the reins slip all the way to the buckle and rested my hands on her withers so that I would use only my body and legs to turn. I prepared ahead of time, just before the corner where the loop began, looping across the arena without relying on my hands.

 It is the best, most amazing feeling in the world when everything came together and I was riding in harmony with Lucky, and I am so happy that it went so well. I've come a long in the one and a half years since I started riding.