Smile!

“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”
           -John Wayne

How even the little jumps feel right now

I like how others start posts with a quote. Kind of sets the mood. So last week I had lesson Tuesday and a kinda lesson on Friday. These were my first two real days of riding Louie. 

Tuesday Louie was pretty mellow. The weather was nice and it was overall a good ride. I have come to the horrible realization that my body is no longer controlled by my mind, but by the weak muscles I now have, courtesy of my maternity leave from riding. I know I will take some time getting back into shape, but it is frustrating knowing what I should look like on a horse, and seeing pics that show I am no where near that. Plus I keep forgetting to smile. Half of my pics I look like I'm being tortured by riding, which while sometimes a little anxiety inducing, is so not how i feel. I always feel more satisfied after riding, like I've accomplished something. We always do lots of posting trot, sitting trot (yuck), and two-pointing. I find two-pointing easier on Louie, he's a bit round and has such a comfortable trot. I felt a little antsy at initially cantering him in the large arena, but he was a perfect gentleman, and so comfortable. I find I have to constantly force my back to soften into the rhythm. I get so stiff now  (I'm really only in my 30's right?!) I miss the rebound ability of my teens and early twenties. 

I made myself jump, even though my legs were jello. It was just back and forth over a little x, but more than enough for me. I had one spaz moment when Louie did his super bouncy lead change after the jump. My legs went straight out "like sticks" according to my laughing trainer. Luckily Louie is super smooth and I lurched back into the saddle only with a pride bruise. I don't know why I don't grip with my legs more, you'd think I would clamp down when I feel off balance. 

Friday morning was surprisingly cold and dreary when I got to the barn. Louie was a bit higher with the gale strength wind, but he seemed to get most of it out in the round pen and we had a good ride in the indoor arena lots of posting trot and trying not to run into others at a canter. Our indoor gets small fast. When we all went down to the lower arena to jump, I declined feeling if I stink at flatwork, I shouldn't be flying thru the air until I get more solid. At least not too often. The second day of riding per week is definitely making me more sore, and it shows in my riding. Hopefully I will get stronger faster and finally start riding better with more rides on the same horse. I know i will get better, but I am type A and impatient so it can't happen fast enough. I am not sure riding Mon and Tues back to back will feel so great but we will see.

Rough schedule: Mon- hack
                           Tues- lesson
                          ( Wed- yoga ) 
                           Thurs- hack  

I'm back to work this week, hard to believe its been three months already. But unless, I win the lotto, someone's gotta bring home the bacon :)

Step Up

So I dragged myself (and my boys) out to the barn bright and early this morning (yes 9am is early to me now) to give Louie a try. When we got there J was jumping Henry so we sat and watched with Karley (hubby with camera in hand as usual). I think my baby boy enjoyed watching as much as I did. Not sure if such a dusty setting is the healthiest for such a young babe, but he really enjoys it, and i figure he has my immunity. Plus it was so smoggy out I figured the air was frankly nicer up on the hill.
 

Ok so its an old pic of Louie, but we know I will have lots soon enough :)

After Juliana put Henry away, we went and grabbed Louie. He is such a big puppy dog. We groomed him, and I finally attempted polo wraps. It looks way easier than is was, which is kinda sad for a nurse. It isn't much different than when I bandage a person, excluding the whole way bigger, standing in mucky wash area and moving part. I am sure I will quickly get the hang of it... or just pick up some boots ;) way easier lol.
     After a quick lunge, J rode him around in the indoor while our trainer was giving a lesson. After she warmed him up a bit, I hoped on... well ok after a failed leg up, I climbed aboard and enjoyed the ride. I was definitely a little sore from riding Tues, so I was more than happy to not do a ton of posting trot. Louie has wonderfully comfortable gaits, even when he's being lazy. So since I liked Louie, and I wasn't a spaz, I will now be leasing him 3 days a week. Yay for more riding, more learning, and more to blog about!

That old black Magic

As the title confers I mixed it up at last nights lesson and rode Magic. He was his normal (less than) charming self. Most of our issues were clearly mine, but he could be a gentleman and not point them out right? My biggest issue is still when a horse gets heavy and too fast, I have the horrible tendency to pop my butt out of the saddle as I pull back, obviously lessening my ability to balance and defeating the purpose. Very irritating habit I have not been able to remedy yet. I jumped a little jump across and back, Magic being fairly cooperative, but my back was screaming at me, so I declined further jumping, much to the harassment of my husband (which I have told him to do). The way  I see it, if I'm riding crappy on the flat, no reason to go riding crappy over jumps.

 Pics aren't edited yet, I don't think my amazing husband got too many since he was busy with the baby most of the time. The best part of the lesson was when I stopped for water and upon getting close to my baby, he lit up with a huge smile and coo. According to my husband, our 10 week old already likes watching mommy ride :)

More pics once they are edited. Unfortunately since I chickened out of more jumping  because of some minor back spasms, I only have two horrible examples of my bad form over a fence these days, which will not be shared.

Tomorrow I am going down to hopefully ride and possibly lease the awesome Louie. I am hoping that being able to ride more than once a week, along with riding one steady mount will help my riding, cause right now, I'm kinda embarrassed. Luckily I know:  (a)I have before and can again ride better, (b) progress takes time, and (c) my trainer will keep on me until I get better; and (d) I ride with some very cool ladies who put up with me and make lessons fun :)

Moving along...

So I guess I am slacking on my blog, not that I really have many followers, but it does feel nice to put into words some of the thought bumping around in my noggin from time to time. So...

Our lesson on Aug 7th was canceled which kinda bummed me out since it was my B-Day, but it was nasty hot that week so I wasn't too bummed.... I have started doing Vinyassa yoga classes on my non-riding days at the gym. I know should be doing something more hard core to bust this body back into at least the shape I was in pre-baby, but baby steps right? Besides that instructor is pretty tough, and I am so not limber.

Last week our lesson was moved to Thursday, but since we had already gotten the in-laws to babysit, we went down and watch the gang ride. While I am always a little wistful just watching, it is amazing how much more I can notice watching others while not having to ride at the same time. Of course we took pics :)

Pony

Up close and personal with Henry

One of the prettiest sunsets I can remember

Then on Thurs we had our lesson. It was cooler which makes it so much nicer to ride. (Although I will miss the heat when its cold and dreary). I admittedly was a bit lazy and opted for Kaile again, knowing that I wouldn't have to jump if I rode her and that she was kept front and center in the barn so less walking ;) Lesson overall went well. I still feel so off, my brain knows where it wants my body which refuses to comply. I hated every time I got yelled at to put my heels down, that is usually the easy part for me, now its like "crap I lost that too". Oh well, it will come back to me with time and effort, both of which I have.

The best part was riding in my own saddle (albeit still sporting Karley's name plate)

Mind over muscle

Will I ever be half this brave?

The Olympics have been a blast to watch, thanks to DVR I have not missed much. I was super surprised when my husband announced he wished I had saved the cross-country because he wanted to see some of it. I think my love of horses has officially rubbed off on him :)




No pictures from this weeks lesson :( , Andy stayed at home with the baby since it was nasty hot. Its probably just as well, while Kaile looked sharp in her hunter green attire, I looked hot and tired, and I know my form was not pretty most of the time. Kaile seemed heavy and sluggish the whole lesson, enjoying me not being up to speed. I find I am being surprisingly whinny/ wimpy about riding (its hot, my boots make my toes go numb, my back hurts,etc). I like what I just read, courtesy of Lyssette: *Be Stronger Than Your Excuses* . I think this needs to be my new mantra. Part of me has become soft, and the other half of me keeps yelling 'shut up and ride woman'! I have never been an aggressive rider, but I always pushed past pain and fatigue to ride, now I find my mind racing to think of an excuse to not two-point or to need to slow down, when I know I have more in me. Luckily I know my trainer will not give me too many more excuses. I was pondering on my way home, how I ended up riding with such an awesome group. Through a chance friendship I ended up riding with a group of friendly, patient, and entertaining group of people, with a trainer who is a good mix of friendly and hard-ass, just what I need. Since I started riding with them I have grown more as a rider than I did in the 8-10 years I rode before.

No lesson next week, which is a bummer since it is my B-Day, but that's life. I think we will have to head down again and at least get pics of other's riding, I really enjoy snapping shots almost as much as riding, just being at a barn is so therapeutic for me.