Lesson #??

Oh man. I've been so negligent with all my blogs but this one in particular. I've been so lazy with uploading pictures to my computer, I'm now on "vacation" (more like holidays) so I think I will be uploading and blogging like crazy. Taking pictures like crazy.

I have a crazy idea. I don't know if I'll be able to do it for awhile. But I would love to be able to videotape my riding lessons and post them up here. Or at least bits of it. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Maybe I'll get the boyfriend out one day to tape me.

Lessons are going really well. I'm on a different horse again, but I think I've found my match. :) He's a Morgan-Arabian cross (which I'm not a huge fan of, generally) but he's super cute. He's super tiny but he's all power *cough Morgan cough* I've ridden him 3 times now. He's super cute! He was a little spooky last week, but nothing unmanageable. He has a nice canter, haha. He's so comfortable, and he's fun. He makes learning dressage fun. =D

Brodie!!

Isn't he cute?
xoxo

Slight Hiatus

Sadly, I won't be able to update this one as I won't be in any riding lesson until December.

The price of getting your eyes lasered! The surgeon said I needed 2 weeks off so, 2 weeks it will be.

See you in 2 weeks!
xoxo

Lesson #4 and #5

I am sad to report that Winston, has been sold. I was very sad over this, because I loved him. He was such a sweetheart!

So instead of riding Winston, I began riding a beautiful dapple grey mare named Gillian. She's really nice, REALLY trained, and so far... A major C-H-A-L-L-E-N-G-E.  For me anyways. I've had one really amazing lesson on her. It just worked. I had her doing what I wanted, not the other way around. Shocking, I know. I have no idea what I was doing that worked SO well, but I can't seem to get it back. Oh, trust me, it's not for a lack of trying. She tricks me, this mare. She'll do it off right and then I relax and she takes me where she wants to go. *shakes head* The good thing, is that Debbie got on her last night (I froze on the ground though. November is too cold for me already) and she was surprised at how bad she was. It was really cool to see Debbie ride though. It showed me how she rode, what she did to correct, and what it's actually supposed to look like. Also glad to know that it wasn't just ME who was being mentally handicapped when it comes to riding her. (Not that Debbie was, but I found out that she's ridden by 3 other people, and that she wasn't giving her ribcage at all, so it was more difficult than usual to do anything with her). I also realized that this week, she wasn't ridden before me, so she didn't have all the time to warm up.

A couple weeks ago, Bridget and I had our first Lunge Lesson. We had never really had one like this before at all. I was SO tired afterwards. My legs died. It was so intense, but it allowed me to try Kermi! It was so good. I got a canter out of him, and it was fun doing no reins, no stirrup work. So much easier when you don't have to worry about where your horse is going to end up! It was nice to be able to not think about other stuff that had to be done and just FEEL.

It's nice because I finally think that the other girls are warming up to us! They actually talk to us a little bit. I always hate being the new person in a barn. It's like school... So intimidating!

xoxo

Winston!!

He's so PRETTTYYY!!! :D
xoxo

Lesson # 3

Brilliance. Pure, and utter amazing.

I rode Winston again this week.  I absolutely love this horse. He's the epitome of what I want. Big, beautiful bay gelding. Sigh. My life is complete!

Anyways, this week, was pure genius. I started off having a little bit of trouble, with staying on the rail. Have come to the realization that my left leg is pretty much useless. I don't know why I even have one when it comes to riding. So my coach got me to work on a circle, and then move to some figure 8's. Pure genius. I started off at a walk, getting him moving off my leg, and the she came and talked to me, got me to move up into a trot, and I had it.

Collection!

Fabled, I know, but I have hit it. This week anyways. It was amazing. I could feel it working, and him coming together under me. He had forward movement without me working to hard to get him there. He had flexion. He was moving off my legs. It was pure bliss. 

Can't wait to see what lesson #4 throws at me. Hopefully I'll be riding Winston again!

xoxo

Dressaggge.

O.M.G.

I realized that switching disciplines would be difficult. But not this difficult. Last week, couldn't canter to save my life. This week, couldn't walk in a straight line, get out of corners or the middle of the arena.

I've never ridden a horse that is completely push button. Sounds easy right? So wrong. It'll be easy once I've found those buttons, but until then, I'm a terrible rider. I keep doing something with my body that tells Gillian (my horse) that I want something that I don't want. So it's not her fault, it's mine.

My new mantra:
I am a good rider. I am a good rider. I am a good rider.

Right?
xoxo

Another Kind of Reunion

Well. It's been awhile and I have soo much that's new!

1. I'm riding again!! /B and I have started up dressage, at Equestrian Dreams riding facility and are absolutely loving it. I had a rough lesson last week as I have come to realize that I'm not going to bounce back as quick as I thought. I could not for the life of me get my horse to lope My bad, canter). I love the horse that I'm riding, it's this big Clyde/TB cross and he's gorgeous. BAY! My kinda pony. He's a little younger than general lesson horses, and I'm so not used to the crazy amount of leg I need to use. Granted I have been off for a year, but I'm not used to it. Very frustrating moment when my body wouldn't do what my mind was telling it to do. GRAH is all that went through my mind. I was beating myself up in my mind. All I can do is hope for a better lesson next week. *fingers crossed*

2. My mom and I went out for dinner with a couple ladies that I haven't seen in what seems like ages (possibly a year or more now) and got to catch up with them. It was wonderful! I didn't realize how much I had missed them until I saw them again. It was another mother/daughter combo and the daughter is a year younger than me and going through university to become a large animal vet. Kudos to her, I say. I could never do that length of schooling and still be sane. She always was the brains in our operation though. Her mom always makes me want to become a librarian. She is one, and it just seems so cool. It's always been a back up of mine. Books, and stern looks? I've got those down to an art! Maybe if I need a change when I'm a little bit older and more mature? There are always options and doors!

But now I need to go to bed, so
xoxo