Ho Boy We Take a Lesson

Awkward and teeny, but look at my hands!!

I find that the best recipe for getting myself out of a riding funk is to take a solid lesson and learn some new skills or dust off old ones. We got on S's schedule for this past weekend and then I promptly got redheadlins and Alyssa talked in to coming out to take video and pictures respectively.

Oh wow. What to say?

Theme: HANDS FORWARD

The thing I love about S is her ability to really meet me where I'm at in terms of training and confidence and then push me within that level so I come out of a lesson feeling more confident in my horse and my skills and our ability to do things together.

She's also really technical, which helps my overachieving brain fixate on something useful instead of just random anxiety. The theme for the day was to put my hands together and just ride forward from my leg.

Possessed right hand in check

On the circle of death!

Omg! I maybe should add that I'm one of those twisted weirdos who thinks the circle of death is a super fun exercise and I sort of love it.

We started the exercise by using simple lines and leaving fences out to let Courage and I get combobulated. By the end of the lesson, we were able to do the full circle both directions and I EVEN HAVE VIDEO!!!

Barrel issues: mastered!

I usually hate video, particularly of myself, but I'm actually pretty proud of this one. I mean, I know I have tons to work on and I'm hardly perfect, but I'm riding forward and making good decisions and my position is alright and it's all perfectly appropriate for the level we're at.

Throughout the whole exercise, I just felt so solid. I was comfortable in the tack and on my horse and I was being asked questions that I was able to answer. The great thing about having the jumps on a circle like that is they just keep coming up and you have to ignore mistake and keep riding forward.

So focused

It reminds you to stay in the middle and keep your leg on. It also lets you just jump in balance out of stride, over and over and over, until the feel of it just sinks into your brain.

I've done this all before, really I have. Courage and I are just starting to change of that "green horse" ride, where you do whatever needs to be done at the moment to more of a "broke horse" ride, where the horse has a grasp of what is supposed to happen and becomes more responsible for himself.

Just loping over the wee thing

It's all good things and I'm happy and excited. In fact, I almost didn't know what to do with a lesson where I didn't have to ride through mind-altering fear. Seriously. These jumps all looked safe and tiny to me (which they are), and that's ok.

I may not have all the answers, but even I can see that Courage and I are improving together and having fun. There's nothing like progress to shake off that nasty funk. :-)