First, I finally got Cider's saddle to stay centered on her back.  As I've written before I had bought a Wintec Wide saddle to use on Cider.  At first I could not keep the saddle centered, and since my balance is not good I had to repeatedly re-center my saddle on her back.  Finally Shannon and I figured out something that works--a double fleece GP saddle pad.  The top layer of fleece seems to grab onto the synthetic covered panels of the Wintec and the bottom layer seems to hold onto her back better.  I've ridden twice with this pad and only had to re-center the saddle a little bit once instead of three or four times in half an hour.  This is an enormous improvement, I no longer hate riding in my new saddle!  Cider has finally given her approval since now EVERY part of the saddle, long billets and girth that touches her is covered in fleece.  I joked with Shannon that if Cider were a woman she would insist on wearing mink and sable furs! 

Today it was cool and quite breezy, the coolest morning so far this fall.  I had thought of switching to my smooth-roller spurs but I thought better of it when I saw the weather on TV.  The last thing I wanted to use on a morning like this was a spur that Cider might think stronger than my Spursuaders.  Cider was ready to go, go, go!!!  Keeping her at a walk I went around the ring with Cider trying to dive into the center more than usual.  I had changed to a bit with her (full cheek) since it is cooler and my hands are operating better.  It did not make any difference with Cider trying to dive to the inside.  Then I tried circles, using the technique that Karen taught me of looking just a quarter way around the circle, letting my head straighten until Cider reached that point, then focusing on the next quarter point.  I noticed something, if I looked toward the quarter point on the ground Cider dove in, but if I looked up in the air Cider stayed on track.  I experimented a few times, and as long as I directed my eyes UP Cider behaved.

So I decided to try this as we went along the fence.  Shannon's arena is rather small, made up of 16 foot long livestock panels 5 feet high, and the longest straight stretch is two panels long-32 feet, the rest is sort of curved.  First I tried focusing on the ground like I had before and Cider dove in.  Then I focused on Cider's ears and there was not improvement.  Then I focused on the top of the panel and Cider improved a little bit, her first steps of her dive to the center were less emphatic.  Then I tried looking over the fence and Cider improved further but that tendency to dive in was always there.  After walking a little bit on loose reins to rest Cider's mouth I then re-established contact and looked even further up, angling my line of sight up to the lower branches of the oak trees.  BINGO!  Cider stayed at the fence without hand or leg aids.  I would focus around 8-10 feet above the ground to the next part of the fence-line, keep my eyes up as I straightened my head, and then focused on the next part of the fence-line 8-10 feet above the ground.  (Cider is around 14 hands.)  

It was the position of my head that had been driving Cider into the center of the ring.

Every time I looked to the side and down Cider dove to the center of the ring.  I had been working on keeping my head centered and looking ahead, but I had not been looking up into the air, always I was either checking Cider's head, looking down to the ground ahead of me, or  looking at the top of the arena fence, not up to the lower branched of the big oak trees.  Cider kept to the fence willingly when I rode on contact only when I looked UP when I turned my head for the curve, the instant I looked down, even to the top of the 5 foot fence Cider tried to dive in.

This also seemed to work at the trot, and boy, Cider was a trotting machine today!  I did not do as good with keeping my head steady while looking up at the posting trot, but even then I was having to use a lot less hand and leg to get Cider to cooperate with me.  Today I had to keep Cider away from the fence rather than at the fence (she was trotting rather close to the fence.)  

Of course, since I am not looking at the ground ahead of me, I have to trust Cider to avoid any problems in her path.  She seems perfectly happy that I have turned that job over to her.  If I was riding in a field or on a trail I would have to check the ground ahead occasionally for any dangers, but in Shannon's ring that is not necessary because there is nothing in it.  Cider is acting like a true school horse, demanding perfection from her rider.  Cider is teaching me to keep my head up, looking up even in the turns, and right now my neck muscles are sore.  I am not used to this.  My face was vertical, but my eyes were looking up instead of straight ahead horizontally.  I had no idea that would affect my neck muscles so much.

Maybe now I have some hope of getting Cider straight.  It was the faulty position of my head that had been driving her to the center.  I had no idea that the tilt of my skull on top of my spine would have so much influence on a horse.  And the only reason I know this for sure now is because Cider was such a brat whenever I held my head wrong, instead of just putting up with it like all the other horses.

Thank you Cider.  I finally got it.

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran