There are a lot of times it still stops me in my tracks when I think about how different my life is now from just under 2 years ago. Two years ago had someone told me nothing would make me happier than spending 7 hours at the barn (and nearly 5 of it on horses) I would have told them they were certifiably insane, now I wish every day could go that way. And Friday did!
The afternoon started out with Joker. I missed him a lot the 4 days I had been gone, and it felt good to be back. I took my time grooming and tacking (and giving candy canes of course) and then we had a good ride. I really tried to work on my hands, my seat and my feet. We mostly walked and trotted, but that was by design, to allow me to concentrate on my issues. I am coming to value something Etta has been trying to teach me for a while, that a ride doesn't have to be big and dramatic to be beneficial. I have been doing a lot more walk/trot rides in hopes if I get it right there it will carry over to the lope. I was very happy with our ride Friday and how much I was able to get him to do without huge hand movements (he knows this stuff, it is my body and cues we are working on).
After Joker I had my private lesson on a new horse. This week was Dodger. Dodger is a buckskin dun, one of the WL schoolies. I LOVED riding Dodger. He is to me what a schoolie should be. He is calm, even keeled, agreeable and yet he expects his riders to do their part, he is picky about your hand position and that was great for me because it is something I need a lot of work on (I tend to pull back to my body, something I finally realized is mechanically hindering my horse - Etta made the why on this click Monday finally - but am not sure how to break my habit of). Riding him accomplished exactly what Etta told me her goal choosing him was, he let me work on ME and my seat and tested me just enough. This is exactly the kind of horse I would love to be on at the clinic in a few weeks, think anyone would notice if he was missing from Woodloch???? He was such a fun horse to ride that I stayed on him long after my lesson and rode while the next lesson was going on. He is a horse I would jump on again in a heart beat to try to work on some of my body issues.
I had a short break after Dodger and then it was time for my group lesson, and my "second date" with Nash. I have to admit I wanted to do this about as much as I would like to bungee off the Empire State building. And fate almost let me get out of it (he was being used in the other barn) but Etta pushed to make it happen and afterwards I was very grateful she did.
The ride was actually pretty fun. He is still not overly interested in working harder than he has to, but being in the arena with a bunch of the other schoolies he was much more agreeable than he had been in my private lesson. He would maintain his trot and was willing to do what he was asked. His steering was still pretty sticky but it wasn't belligerent like it had been on the previous ride. He actually has a nice trot, and good brakes.
The big lesson from re-riding Nash was how incredibly different the same horse can be from one situation to the next. Had Etta told me this was a different horse I would have believed it. I also know though I cant put it all on him, I was a much different rider than I was in my private the week before also. I was much more centered, patient, determined and brought much better horsemanship to him.
Oh and my day of three rides also taught me one more lesson. I am really old!!!!!!! I was beyond hurting by the time I went back to say good night to Joker and hug on him (and yeah bring him a horsie muffin or two). In some ways how sore I am the last few weeks is frustrating, but more so it tells me I am changing how I use my body, and that is a good thing! I am engaging some muscles better and pushing myself. Riding was physically easier when I was doing to wrong, but this is something else I just need to work through.
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