Oh man. Greenhawk, you sly mistress. Sucking me in with deals and clearance, only to have me walking out with $400 worth of more horse stuff.
Why must horse gear be so EXPENSIVE?!
New boots, new pants, new socks, new sweater. New outfit. And a boot jack.
No more clothes for me. But they're all for winter, so not likely that I'll need to repurchase anytime soon.
Thank Heavens.
xoxo
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I Think I'm Starting to Get This...
This week's lesson was great. I feel myself just getting better and better.
The first week of January's lesson, I just wasn't on. I was having seriously technical difficulties with my left side, not just my hand. Kept letting my outside aids fall to the wayside. So she kept getting away from me in her collection. I wasn't connected to my core so she was kind of all over the place because I was all over the place. The reference my coach uses for what my outside rein should be like is that it's like a tight rope, and there's a little man trying to walk it. If it bounces, your little man will fall off (which is not what you want). It means that your contact with her outside is not constant. That lesson, every time I looked down to check, there was my rein, bouncing all over the place. I couldn't feel that my hand was letting the reins slip or anything. I think that was the most frustrating thing. I couldn't feel my hand and what it was doing. I thought that it was ok when it wasn't.
This week's lesson I worked on my canter. Canter serpentines! It was really cool, I'd never actually done them before. Tiffany is so pro. Sadly, someone emailed about her the other day, so I might be out of another horse. On the up side, my coach said that she'd get the girl to come out on a Wednesday when I ride to showcase her. FML. So much pressure!!! Maybe I'll get Tiz to come out and tape me as well. =D that'd be pretty epic.
The first week of January's lesson, I just wasn't on. I was having seriously technical difficulties with my left side, not just my hand. Kept letting my outside aids fall to the wayside. So she kept getting away from me in her collection. I wasn't connected to my core so she was kind of all over the place because I was all over the place. The reference my coach uses for what my outside rein should be like is that it's like a tight rope, and there's a little man trying to walk it. If it bounces, your little man will fall off (which is not what you want). It means that your contact with her outside is not constant. That lesson, every time I looked down to check, there was my rein, bouncing all over the place. I couldn't feel that my hand was letting the reins slip or anything. I think that was the most frustrating thing. I couldn't feel my hand and what it was doing. I thought that it was ok when it wasn't.
This week's lesson I worked on my canter. Canter serpentines! It was really cool, I'd never actually done them before. Tiffany is so pro. Sadly, someone emailed about her the other day, so I might be out of another horse. On the up side, my coach said that she'd get the girl to come out on a Wednesday when I ride to showcase her. FML. So much pressure!!! Maybe I'll get Tiz to come out and tape me as well. =D that'd be pretty epic.
Canter serpentines... Just not flying lead changes in between :)
Friday, December 31, 2010
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
Friday, November 19, 2010
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
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
Thursday, November 11, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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.
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
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