Getting to the Core

Some people exercise.

I eat chocolate and ride my pony.

So, when I was told there would be an exercise night at my coach's barn with a new athletic therapist in our area, I was all over it! (Put anything with horses and I am there, basically.)

I ran out and bought exercise pants (paired nicely with my favorite rubber boots--it was in a barn) and headed out for an evening of using muscles that don't want to be used.

Plaid forever <3

After a bit of classroom learning time, we laid down our yoga mats/horse blankets and got to work.


We learned all about strengthening our core and developing the muscles we need to be better riders. We also learned about preventing future pain with correct use of our body.

Some of the exercises we were working on.

It was a great mix of biomechanics for riding and torture exercises geared towards improving balance, posture and equitation on the horse.

I hate you, plank.

Needless to say, I am hurting. so. much.

Next session is with horses. Really, I can't wait.  ;)

Technique versus Instinct

I am treading in water that I am finding a bit too deep. I have always ridden by feel--I find it very difficult to think about this foot here, hip weight there, blah, blah, blah.

Riding from the time I was able to get a horse near a fence to climb up (4 years old), I was out there, riding unsupervised, bareback, doing all the dangerous fun things and developing a feel that is second nature.

Sure, I was shaped along the way through 4-H, clinics, et cetera, on proper equitation so I learned to look 'pretty' for shows and I did quite well at it.

Then with Miss Tea, I dove into hunter land and learned about short stirrups, half seats and how to make all of that 'pretty'.

"will dressage for cookies" - Savvy

Enter Savvy and our new direction: Dressage.

My brain hurts. I have actually printed lists and illustrations of movements, what the horse's body is supposed to be doing and what my body needs to do to get it. I just can't get this X-Y-Z stuff into my head yet though. Riding on instinct and feel is difficult when I do not fully understand what I want her body to do exactly and why.

I know we'll get there. I just never imagined dressage would be so hard.

Spring? Really?

Well this happened.

It was almost all gone and then, boom. Right back to winter.

And this happened.

Way too close to the eye.

Poor Savvy. She is not happy about it. She was off to herself this morning when I came out to feed. The scrape looks a bit worse than just hair taken off, but not an open wound, thank goodness. A bit swollen, but did not feel like broken bones underneath. I hope this teaches her to stay clear of pony once and for all. Otherwise Meyla is going to have to go back to the small coral by herself again. Ugh, why can't they all just get along?

Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams

Exciting news!

I have made a little purchase. No, I cannot afford to get myself those fleece-lined rubber boots I will soon need when all this snow melts and I haven't paid my cell phone bill in full, possibly ever...but I can make this happen somehow.

Here is a hint...

Wha?! Oh?!    Yes.

The colour of said purchase made the search frustratingly limited, but was of the utmost importance because, well...I have my horse's spots to match, don't ya know.

I started scanning local tack for sale, but my search ballooned ever outward until I was actually considering an option as far away as Australia. It seemed the combination of my limitations (with budget being the largest barrier) was going to make the search seem futile.

So I decided to give up the search for a bit, but the habit of searching all available adds was strong and I found myself still taking a peek now and then.

And there it was! My colour. My size. Hopefully Savvy's size. In my price range. In my feck'n  province!

So I emailed the seller and what do you know...it is the girl I see every Wednesday at my lesson barn.

Lesson learned. Tell horse people you are looking for a saddle.




Welcome to my life, Keiffer <3

Someone hand me my champagne. I think I can Grand Prix now.

Pony Love

I may have mentioned a few times in the past how much I love my mare?

pony love XOXO

The long, exhausting, tear and self-doubt-filled road I have been on in an attempt to regain some semblance of confidence is happening guys!

Savvy is not an easy horse. Starting with an unbroke horse and attempting to train them for riding all on your own while you are dealing with fear is HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED.

Yet here I am, doing it. I am not only surviving the scary stuff, but we are doing well. Savvy is a super star in lessons and even when she looses her marbles, she comes right back and tries so hard to work for me.

No matter if she is calm and moving in that beautiful swinging walk, or she is tossing her head and saying "Hell no, I am not bending left today!", or tattling on my outside rein disconnect, I am just a smiling fool these days.

I am really starting to 'know' her under saddle. It has taken a while, but having that knowledge is feeding my confidence.

This doesn't mean fear is gone. I still deal with minor worry of staying on if she spooks, et cetera, but the great thing is, it is in perspective now. No longer paralysing, or blown out of proportion.

Now I can focus on good stuff like actually getting better at dressage instead of survival.

Patience

I don't know about you, but here we have been having some random great weather mixed in with the regular ugly winter. That taste of spring is wonderful but it also drives me nuts with anticipation for what is going to be *best show season evar* !!!

Right now though, just keep trotting. and trotting.

Still awake?

Notice full-on parka riding. This was not one of those random warm weather days and even after a full hour of trot work, still could not feel my hands.

Maybe next lesson will be warmer and possibly some, dare I say, canter work too?

Yes, dressage is still awesome.

Even though this all looks so straight forward (a feckin figure-8 to shoulder in to small circle failure), my brain is on fire with inside rein/outside rein connections, leg position, use inside of calf-not back of calf, even weight in stirrups but don't push down in stirrups, don't let toes point out (they still are!! boo.), look around circle, use core muscles, encourage her to seek the bit...

I am also very happy that baby Shiraz is showing a real passion for jumping--loose in the arena she pops herself over all the things and looks beautiful doing it!

But until Shiraz is trained, I'll be over here trotting.

Back to work

Temperatures are back up out of dangerous ranges into a more reasonable -10 degree-maybe-we-won't-die-if we-just-keep-moving sort of range which means lessons back on bitches!



Frosty morning feed

I was so excited to be back into work, I scheduled two lessons in one week.

The first lesson was a bit wonky. Savvy was spooky and tight, and never really relaxed enough to get quality in anything. Despite this, I still came home flying high as a kite (riding is such a good drug!) and happy overall with her effort after such a long break from serious work.

Second lesson started off just as tight even though I had been careful to prepare Savvy with a bit of relaxation work before getting on. I don't blame her one bit though because I was riding quite tight myself as I was feeling nervous about possible spooking.



The most hair I have ever seen on one single horse.

We both loosened up soon enough though and started to get some damn good work accomplished! This lesson was all about should-in to walk transition, back to trot and repeat. As Savvy started to figure out the plan, she just got better and better. We achieved a trot on her that I had never felt before with moments of actual collection. She could only maintain that particular quality for about five or six steps at a time because the muscle just doesn't exist yet to support it, but hell! It was a fleeting glimpse of what is yet to come.

Fingers crossed the weather holds so I can keep this up. I am so much easier to get along with when I get my riding time!