Trusting the Unknown

My normal Tues or Weds lesson was moved to Friday so trainer could take care of some personal business out of town. 

It was warm, quickly got into the  high 70's, I'm not quite ready for heat, conditioning wise. Lots of panting lol. Went down to outdoor and another older woman who trailers in with alternating horses each week joined us. She is great to ride with, she is polite and braver than me (jupms and rides sensitive horses) so gives me courage lol. 

Started with a nice relaxed but forward walk, until trainer realized I was slacking and told me to do a sitting trot. I worked hard at opening my always tense hips, which softened my bouncing on his back into following his motion. Novel

Blurry selfie. Go me.

Plenty of trotting, with more two-point than my flabby core could muster, and I admittedly snuck in posting whenever trainer looked away. Rarely does she not notice, sometimes she is just nice enough to call me on it, push me one more lap then let me rest.

Apparently I am leaning back behind the motion a bit to compensate for me having no core at the canter.  I really thought i was just sitting up properly, but alas another thing to work on.

Did a few lead changes. He is really nice, L to R he is crazy smooth. Reverse he rushes a bit. which gets me tense, expecting some sort of naughtiness. But it doesn't come. He just does it.

Then trainer asked if I wanted to jump a little with the other rider. I said sure. I still had some reserve energy and I have watched him enough to know he is VERY forgiving.

Trotted back and forth over a little 2ft cross rail. What eye I had is gone... well not gone totally, I could see the wrong distance, I just forgot what to do to fix it. Trotting we were mostly fine, I sat up, grabbed mane and tried not to collapse from lack of muscle tone.

Then we cantered. That's where he proved a gentleman. I felt him move up and got all grabby handed. Slowed him down and we got a weird distance. Folks its hard to mess up 2ft, but I did. Flopped on neck, bopped his mouth, prob grazed a spur to his side. He just slowed to a trot and side-eyed me like WTF, you seemed ok til now lady. Trainer told me to trust him, his eye is better than mine for distance. Got a couple more better jumps and proved there is some nerves still hiding in there about cantering fences.

After over a year, guess that's fair. Hoping I get my core back soon.

So excited for my lesson

Ride 3

Notice the dog chasing a ball in the distance?
Jasper didn't care

Had my 3rd post baby ride. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, we had frame issues, but it still overall felt great.

Rode again in the half-groomed, mostly ok footing of the outdoor. It was nice in the high 60's barely a breeze, enough clouds to not feel too bad I forgot sunscreen.

Jasper didn't want to frame. At all. Which gave us issues with maintaining speed. But it was fun getting to work on it, I worked hard at paying attention to my body, where were my legs, was I leaning, was I sitting up. Its nice riding a horse that is steady enough to let you pay attention to yourself. 

Rode with WS and her younger but taller sister (who is also an awesome rider). They are fun to watch and ride with. I do miss my Sat am barn mates but still short horses to ride.

How Jasper felt about our ride

 I rode a little extra in the indoor as trainer had to meet the vet up in the barn. I worked at shoulder/haunches in and some turn on the fore as I only trust myself with a mirror if no one else is watching. 

Then homeboy got some dental torture work done and his nasty tail fungus cleaned.

I am hoping trainer will find a unicorn that I can bring the kids to come ride, otherwise I know I will get mighty itchy to buy something...

Clean all the horsey things

Comfort Zone

Had another lesson on Jasper. Was offered coming on Tues and ride him, or Weds and ride Belle as Jasper's owner was riding Weds. Opted to stick with the horse I am comfortable on for another ride, because I was sure my comfort on my first ride back was a fluke.

But it wasn't. I still felt overall really good. Like I am sure if he went into some bucking fest, or spooked, or any other horsey- shananigans, I would have flopped off and been a wreck. But he was a solid enough citizen, and I apparently after several years have some muscle memory on how to not be a total noob in the saddle.

I do still have my left foot which wants to sink into home position, chicken elbows, and stiff hips, so apparently I am mostly back to where I was, just minus any core muscles.

We used draw reins, because why not torture me farther by making me struggle to maintain two sets of reins. We did achieve moments of awesome frame though, and really it ended up feeling pretty normal too.

I worked really hard at keeping us both more upright and not falling on the fore, something most horses easily sneak past my attention until I am holding their freaking head up and wondering why my back hurts and trainer is yelling at me.

Another lesson this next week. Hard to fit more in with short list of horses to ride, and this cute guy wondering where his food source mom went.

Fist bump

Q2 Goals

Well, guess I picked a good time to get back into riding, that way I can just pick up at a new quarter. 


So this is a really rough, just trying to hold myself accountable draft...


Goals (riding and life):

1. Ride at least 1 lesson/wk (no option for hacking yet)
2. Set base two-point time
3.Double two-point time by end of quarter (..so like 1 min lol)

Yup, totally me

4. Convince self don't need pony

5. Buy a pony.......... ok realistically find one to ride (bought or leased)
6. Budget for a horse (like the realistic order this is in?)

7. Kids ride 1/mo (no horse to put them on yet- mine or borrowed)

No more Trooper pony :(

8. Set technology boundaries for family

9. Regular exercise 3 days/wk (gym or home)

Seriously I just wanna do a weight circuit and treadmill

10. Not eat like I'm still pregnant (hello waaaaay too many calories)

This vague list in all honesty still seems really ambitious, because babies and eventually going back to work will kinda mess up my pathetic energy levels. When I get a feel for that I'll shore up a real list.

Return of the Dirty Mirror Selfies

FINALLY back to riding.

Felt like eons, but to an equestrian months of no saddle time, is forever right?

Clearly stoked to take selfies

Since trainer has no lesson horses currently, another boarder was kind enough to loan me her gelding. Jasper is a pretty nice gelding, similar enough to Holly to not feel totally foreign after my hiatus.

Done with me

He is more forward, which is really nice, that whole squeeze to go then just keep a little leg on to maintain is pretty awesome. I got to half halt instead of kick kick kick like I was doing on Trooper pony before my hiatus. Jasper has a higher headset, which makes me feel like he is "perked up" and ready to spook at something, but no, just not dragging me over his neck. Novel.

 Trainer was funny and had me do some two-point at the walk and trot. Um, yeah... that was not pretty. Posting trot felt fine, Jasper has a nice rising trot, although fussy about frame and can get hollow at sitting trot. I am really impressed with how he has turned out since they got him fairly green (but not young). I cantered like a mannequin, super stiff and unable to float with his decent sized canter... certainly feeling it after. 

Thank you car outside for getting his ears up

 Did get some really nice shoulder-in, prompting trainer to say there's "hope for me yet" if I can remember that after all this time off.

Another boarder who only rides on weekends has offered me her green bean mare, who I will love to ride... once I get some core back.

Now to figure out how to pencil in riding around my schedule, small children, and having to borrow horses... easy peasy I am sure.