Like Riding a Bike

Awkward, off-balance, a little self-conscious... how I feel about riding a bike or restarting this blog.

OK, so it's clearly been awhile.

So things that have happened.

Aging and progressing...

Lily is 2

Holly is 9

Shh... none of the geldings know she's that old

Liam graduated Pre-K
(and will be 5 next Sunday)

Adding Variety...

I really did start riding a bike again. My knees aren't super stoked, but I am pleased that it's not as awkward as I thought it would be after at least 5 years of not riding. We got one of those bike trailers for the kids which is one of those cool things I missed out on as a child.

I also started riding my friend's pony one of my lessons per week. Its a two-fold thing.

First its my less-brain-more-leg ride. Trooper is super calm, but the little masochist takes some serious leg and crop to keep forward. Its awesome riding him then back to Holly the next lesson. I now know I don't mind a little forward, its a LOT easier then pony club kicking around the ring.

Secondly, a barn mate lost her young horse fairly recently. Heartbreaking for everyone in the barn as he was a big sweetie. SO, on Saturdays, when lesson horse is booked solid, I let her ride Holly, since she has a bad back that pony trots don't sit well with, while I ride Trooper. She's a quiet rider, and its fun watching how Holly behaves with her (usually better then with me lol).

Holly has been great, especially considering it was spring, with ya know, hormones, and 40mph wind. She's definitely calmer than when I got her and now we get to work on the harder stuff like counter-canter without taking out other riders in the turns and the dreaded turn on the haunches to the left.

I've been back to doing super baby, tiny jumps with some of the younger lesson girls. Holly gets upset if I don't jump something in a lesson. When I was jumping her all the time, I as never sure of her desire for it, but now that we barely jump, I see her lock onto jumps as we canter by, ears perked, body game. If I could just shrink her down 2 hands I'd keep her forever. Or lotto. Need to win lotto.

That's the brief update, leaving out the unhappy stuff like illnesses in the family, finances, super-stressful work crap, etc... its too sunny out to dwell on right now.

Now to get hubby/ photographer back out because I am in need of some better then cell phone pics. ;)

3 Years

So the beginning of this month was my 3 year anniversary with Holly.

Yep still have her. She's for sale (again). Because I had a month or so of being totally smitten with her again and when you stop checking your bank account that's awesome. Then you remember your cars are all super high mileage, kids are growing, and you're pretty sure that's rust in the back of your microwave (seriously they do that?!).

When I first went to look at her, I wasn't so sure. She was taller than I wanted, and had training but in WP, so she was downhill and either threw herself at jumps from quite the distance away or did an impressively small chip in.

Such a baby face

Now she's pretty much a well oiled machine on anything 2'9" and under. And quickly finds her rhythm at 3'-3'3". She knows lateral work, extends, changes, turn on haunches/ shoulders, etc. She is everything my trainer said she'd be.

But lots of things in my life change, and I am slowly accepting that's ok. Having two kids was more time consuming than I expected (hey I'm an only child- I have no frame of reference lol). And ya know, take more money too.

She is a saint as soon as my son is aboard

We've had some really good (and some not) lessons lately. I even had my big girls panties on and did some really relaxed baby jumps, proving to myself, my confidence is in there somewhere.

OMG feet leaving ground

My trainer has been doing lots of transition/change/halt/turn drills for us to fumble through. Brain work. I'm working on really focusing on what the heck all my body parts are doing (despite how I look in photos). I'm amazed at how keeping my seat still affects how well we change, or hold a counter canter. Always a duh moment for me ;)

What's Wrong with the Blog?!

Ok, so after some elbow nudging from a beloved barn mate who reads my blog even though she's at the barn for prob at least half of my shenanigans (hi E!) I decided to post an update.

So... There's the D'Alonzo show I totally neglected to say much about. In fact I'm really bad because I haven't put it on the barn's web page either, because after a few days of harassing people about what classes they were in and what they placed, I got tired of trying and went back to neglecting it like laundry and dusting. Basically we moseyed in fairly late, I totally spaced it and only had time to do 1 lap of WTC one way then had to start flatting.

Needless to say in the stuffy indoor, Holly and I were a little out of sorts and didn't shine. I got all 2nds or 4ths. I kept getting pushed off the rail and then ended up in the endless circle of doom trying to find an open place while still looking pretty (Holly, not me, I try to look like I'm not gonna vomit, no promises of anything better). Again one horse dominated the 1st place spot in the flat classes, who conveniently they knew... and was for sale. Hmmph.

I did warm up Holly over small rails for WS to jump in the 2'6" stuff. If I hadn't been so hot I actually could have seen doing some of the little stuff because the sucky flatting had pissed me off, which made jumping less scary. But I was paranoid about going off course, which ironically WS did. Seeing as she was riding 3 horses back to back, I don't fault her for it. It is the very problem that keeps me chicken about jumping classes... well and the jumping....

I've jumped very little since then. Holly is awesome blossom summer mode, no lunging, no fuss. Little more leg, which my recently aged up ass needs.I have been regularly putting the boy on with me, he's still scared to go at it alone (can't blame him at 16h) but starting to really feel comfortable perched in front of my saddle on her. It was definitely easier riding with him on my friend's pony.

Trooper doesn't care who's on his back,
 as long as he's headed towards food

...... The barn is at a weird place. Karley left and rarely comes out at the same times as me. L is leaving. M's horse just had surgery and will be rehabbing well into the next year. E works and often doesn't make it early enough for weekday lessons. Two kids has my schedule jumping around and me tired.

This pretty much wipes out the majority of adults I ride with. I don't mind lessoning and riding alone or with tweens, but I'm first to admit that losing the social aspect makes me really bummed. I had a really cool group at the barn, of good friends, and I mourn the passing of the "Ladies Night" era we had.

But life is about changes, and how we handle them, so I'll just read blogs and enjoy the times I do have friends with me at the barn. Getting to have my kids be a part of it has been such a hard but unexpected source of happiness for me... my wallet...well...

All the Many Updates...

So of course, I still suck at blogging with any consistency. Que sera sera..

Lets just make this as brief as my overly descriptive brain can:

1.Hives. Once again its the season of Holly looking like a 3-D topography map of the moon. Still not totally clear on what the cause is, most likely evil little fly/gnats eating my poor princess. Several rounds of Dex without much luck, but now she is hopefully turning the corner after 2 doses (and prob just time) or Hydroxizine. It wasn't real fun to still see those on Sunday when I was pulling her out to load up for the show.

2. Schooling Show. Did a schooling show. More details later. Basically I did some mediocre flatting and some good flatting, which was not rewarded any better than my mediocre work. Was too dang hot, tired, chicken to jump actual course, but did warm her up over baby X (volunteered!) for the WS.


3.Sale pony. Yup, princess is still for sale. This is hard because she is in her Summer Personality, where she's awesome-sauce and my biggest complaint is I can't ground mount because I'm not flexible. A few have come and looked at her. Its a very mixed- emotion thing, with lots of anxiety on top. I'll do a full write-up later.

4.Jumping. So, yeah. I still do that. In the most weenie, the kids jump higher most days, sorta way. Most days trainer lets me decide if I feel up to it, but some days she just point me at jumps (when its hot and she knows I'm too tired to whine). So I pretty much decided I'd test Holly's ability to pack me. If I keep my leg on enough, but hold her from rushing, or wandering, she really will pretty much pack over <2'6".

 Truth- I need my core back because on the backside, I have a really hard time sitting up. My back is done with working OT for my absent Abs.

IDK why, I hate this gate sooo much

5.The rest. Holly is pretty well versed in the basics now, and its fun getting to play with cleaning things up, better haunches in, better canter departure, better downward transitions, etc. I may not have been alone in putting the buttons on her, but I'm certainly helping the process, and I'm proud when I sit back and watch others on her, and see how good she can be.

My 4 year old finally like riding. Mostly at a walk, with me, but its a start. Trainer even had me ride schoolie bareback (loose pad only) with him. Its only been a decade since last bareback ride, why not? Lol. Holly has also been most tolerant of my little minion riding pretty much no her withers for a few laps around the ring. I'm proud mamma of them both on that one.

L in background, Liam telling me not to run into things.

Holly so chill with the extra passenger
 (who does where a helmet now)

6.Blogger Meet Up. Many others have posted, let me just say, so worth not sleeping after my night shift (although I'm sure I was a bit goofy to converse with). I look forward to more horse-related get togethers, after years of car related activities, its a fun change.


Gee, glad I kept that short ;)

Wordless Wednesday: Happiness is...

...and yes the hives are back... :(