Forwards and backwards all at once

Not even sure that’s possible, but it feels like what’s happening!

Ri is definitely back to her super-sassy self. She got some extra training today as well as her usual session.

She’s working really well, her forward drive is great, she’s picking up obstacles really nicely, we need to do a bit of homework on wraps with height but it’s generally looking good. However, with the re-added spice, she’s reverted back into the faster-faster mindset. So rather than thinking about what she’s doing, she just launches and if the jump is still 10ft away, eh, so what?! This meant we had quite a lot of bulldozed jumps this morning.

I’ve also decided to put her on V-weaves. She can and will weave on verticals but she’s finding it really difficult, especially as she’s adding in more speed and drive. I don’t think I really gave the 2×2 method a fair try, but the limitations on both space and with Rio’s hormonal swings during our weave-borrowing period just meant it hasn’t worked out for us. I may well go back and use some of the training methods again to reinforce entries and help her with the uprights, but she was getting increasingly frustrated with the process (and frustrated Rio is LOUD Rio, which also hinders the process).

We tried the V’s in the Tuesday class and she’s working beautifully at about 2-3″ set, so we’ll stick with those for a while.

So, we need to work on doing some set-point exercises, some wraps, weaves, as well as at some point thinking about getting some contact work done. I sometimes do get a bit anxious about how much work we still have left to do before I can possibly enter her first show, but she’s so much fun to work and run, I don’t really care. We’ll get there eventually.