tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305421582024-02-21T01:16:58.676-05:00Road to who knows whereUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-20183915570752485782009-04-04T22:05:00.002-04:002009-04-04T22:25:53.066-04:00A turn in the roadI am taking a break from riding.Dada, my teacher and friend, is no longer comfortable with me riding independently. She tried to say it was her fault for getting old or some other nonsense. I know better than anyone that I do not look very graceful when I ride or when I do anything else.I have to find another sport/exercise/hobby to enjoy. I will certainly write about that here. I do write aboutUnknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-79886991660881328372008-11-23T15:33:00.004-05:002008-11-23T15:53:51.502-05:00Ready to rideI am almost ready to quit my job and make horses my full-time occupation today ... because last night I saw the Lipizzaner stallions. It was so cool.I also feel more manly about dressage because apparently it started as military training -- take that, horse ballet.The Lipizzaners did a few moves I know how to do, like circles and serpentines and leg-yielding, but they dud most of them at speeds IUnknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-69919372125365548242008-10-22T21:01:00.002-04:002008-10-22T21:04:27.927-04:00Me and my Shadow?I thought when I started riding T last year that she would be the last horse I rode. She was great; she had energy and initiative. I had to slow her down sometimes; that thrilled me no end.What then was I doing on my last lesson before winter break riding Shadow, a Trakehner-Arab mare? I am still trying to decide if I was being disloyal to T and Morgans. Dada says T has a lot of motion in her Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-88944886319311816912008-10-14T20:31:00.002-04:002008-10-14T20:33:44.058-04:00Stress or somethingI have spent the last 20 minutes looking through old photos to figure out where I used to put my hands. Dada said my trunk was swaying and I looked exhausted. She suggested it was stress, and she may be right. I know I have some stress in my life, but I felt pretty good. I loved having the dressage letters out. It really makes me know where to ride. I thought I ride some decent circles and a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-63550910928581438072008-10-04T22:36:00.002-04:002008-10-04T22:47:53.852-04:00Book review: 'Equus' is great for horse loversI think I have a new favorite horse -- or at least member of the horse family: the Poitou Donkey. They look pretty good in this photo, but no where near as wonderful as they look in a new book called Equus by Tim Flach.I got an early copy of this book to review here and it is pretty neat. You can see some of the photos here on his website. Click on "Equus." He fills almost 300 pages with all Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-2289090685506813592008-09-30T20:20:00.001-04:002008-09-30T20:20:57.486-04:00Six-pack abs, here I comeWell, maybe not, but we are trying to persuade my body to sit on my butt and not use my arms on T's neck to hold me up. As you can see from the photo, it is very much a work in progress. Sitting on my butt, or sitting bones, feels better and makes it easier to ride, but I can't do it for that long before I grab at T's neck. Or tilt widely.It is also easier on my arms and wrists, so I like it. I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-35612362980688262092008-09-24T20:18:00.003-04:002008-09-24T20:25:05.556-04:00Remembering how to rideI made my triumphant return to the riding ring yesterday. Well, sort of.I did ride for the first time in several weeks, but it was not that triumphant. I felt real, real wobbly. I did some decent leg-yielding, which I still find super-cool, but on that I kept fielding like my stirrups were coming off. They actually were, too.Dada asks me if I am trying to give her a heart attack when I wobble. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-30354602177920060382008-09-11T21:35:00.003-04:002008-09-11T21:43:19.630-04:00No showI dropped out of the show and I have not ridden since August. I fell and hurt my jaw. The problem with riding is that I concentrate so hard and clench my teeth. My jaw is feeling a lot better, but I would not have much time to practice with a horse. I say a horse because when I told Dada, she said that there was some thought to having me try another horse if T was too strong for me. I don't thinkUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-28214361745769377492008-08-27T21:14:00.003-04:002008-08-27T21:20:06.026-04:00I am as good as another horseApparently, T likes her horse friends more than me. We'll have to do something about that.We rode in the upper ring yesterday because there was a show going on at Frying Pan Park, a show in which a CCI puppy raiser was riding. No one I really know, but she came over when she spotted Claren and reminded me when we had met – at Clifford's turn-in luncheon.T was riding slowly but rhythmically at Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-49935378525438521832008-08-20T21:25:00.001-04:002008-08-20T21:29:06.084-04:00Almost reined outT was again bothered a bit by flies, but I don't think that was the main problem. I was dealing with new reins that felt pretty awkward. I have just been using one rein that is connected to both sides of T and that sits across her neck. But Dada had noticed correctly that I am unable to do a good free walk with that rein system. I can't loosen the reins enough to get a good stretch from T. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-36095951564077852902008-08-13T20:26:00.002-04:002008-08-13T20:28:15.587-04:00Insects -- we hate themI hate mosquitoes; T hates flies.This bonds us but makes for a rather rough ride.She had a fly somewhere, and she didn't buck but kind of hunched up her back legs, a reasonable response to something biting your belly. But it was hard to stay on and still ride a pattern. i missed two corners and one circle because T was out of rhythm and I was just hanging onDespite the problems, Dada said I have Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-30488508180655995542008-08-05T21:59:00.001-04:002008-08-05T22:04:13.323-04:00Pimping my rideDada reads my blog and tweaks the saddle and other tack based on what's there.Today she put rubber bands on my stirrups to keep my feet in them when I do leg yielding. We didn't do yielding, but it was good to have the security anyway. because she also lowered the stirrups until I could barely reach them (or so it felt).She said that she had been too easy on me in letting me ride with higher Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-52703586504473998882008-07-31T20:54:00.003-04:002008-07-31T21:00:05.936-04:00Me and TDada says that T loves riding with me. That would be cool.T knows my movements and is good at doing what I want and suggest with the reins and my eyes. She tries to ignore the crazy moves of my body. My gyrations do knock her off rhythm some so it is much better to sit straight, I know. But she is good at knowing to turn right when I turn her head right, even if I lean a little left.I rode Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-83717503556924585612008-07-15T21:40:00.002-04:002008-07-15T21:45:56.082-04:00Cowboying upWe were a crowd today.Six volunteers, two students, Dada, Mom and a photographer from a local newspaper. Yikes.I actually tried to cancel early in the day, but Dada said the photographer was coming so I cowboyed up and rode.It was a good ride, but I am definitely not cut out for a dressage team. Another rider and I were supposed to be riding in mirror images of each other down the center line. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-77939975267962212272008-07-08T21:26:00.003-04:002008-07-08T21:32:26.935-04:00High energyI think I got a taste of what Dada saw in T at her first dressage show that made Dada a little nervous. But it didn't leave me feeling worried, just awesome.There was some show going on, with lots of horses and people and jumping and galloping. Ohh, I wish I could do that. It looked so fun. T responded to the energy in the air by walking faster than Dada could keep up. Part of it was my reins Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-14446387385324114852008-07-01T22:14:00.002-04:002008-07-01T22:18:04.977-04:00Furious TI look all right in the picture, although I am not wearing my riding breeches and the dockers are dorky. But how cool does T look with the top of her main all spiked up in the air like that. It was just the breeze but still, that is awesome.We just did some relaxed walking today, a little leg yielding, too. My right foot never felt sturdy in the stirrup, and I think that is why I slid that way a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-37724713505681172642008-06-24T22:05:00.000-04:002008-06-24T22:06:43.269-04:00Fun but exhaustingWe went on a trail ride this lesson because there was a jumping show in the ring and as much as I would like to gallop and leap over jumps, I am pretty sure I can't.Dada always says trail-ride lessons are supposed to be fun and relaxing. I enjoy them, but they are anything but relaxing. With T wandering over uneven ground, I am squeezing real hard with my legs, holding tight with my hands, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-75434203949522808272008-06-17T20:49:00.000-04:002008-06-17T20:50:30.066-04:00T yields for meI will post a picture tomorrow, though you won't see the freakin' awesome thing I did with T today. I leg yielded her.By that I mean I held her head straight and pushed against her with a heel and she walks diagonally but facing straight ahead. It is so cool.Dada said it was T just staying under me and Mom said T looked kind of happy or proud of herself. I was sure proud of us both.The last time Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-47872476058333388702008-06-14T22:48:00.005-04:002008-06-14T22:57:55.917-04:00Can't have the blues when you win a blueI won a blue ribbon today at the Ride to Thrive show sponsored by the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program. The show was broken up by schools so I beat the other folks riding with SPIRIT.More importantly, though, I had one of my best show rides ever. Dada was in the ring, but she stayed as far away as possible, so I felt pretty alone with T, which was awesome. T was in wonderful form -- Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-5969576020667307112008-06-05T21:37:00.002-04:002008-06-05T21:43:08.515-04:00My stupid left footI told Dada that it makes me nervous whenever she says she has big news. She assured me I had no reason to worry this time, and then she told me about a dressage competition they went to last weekend.Becky, a little 10-year-old but a very good rider, was riding T, who apparently has never done just dressage. T has a history of eventing, which involves running and jumping as well as dressage, andUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-25743369301686254292008-05-27T21:42:00.003-04:002008-05-27T21:44:37.450-04:00Smartest horse in townI had a great lesson today. I used the dressage saddle with my toe stoppers. It makes me feel closer to T somehow, and the toe-stoppers make me able to push my heels down. They don't stay down, but …The only bad thing about the dressage saddle is I lean on T's neck so my arms get tired. I tried to stop leaning, but it was awful hard. I will keep trying, though.Anyway, I did about 4.5 runs of my Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-19309956290464052312008-05-20T21:53:00.001-04:002008-05-20T21:55:22.548-04:00VestedI did not have time or energy to change into my riding pants, so I felt OK about forgetting my camera. It was so rainy, too, that I did not even think I'd have lesson. But the rain stopped, and the ring was not slick, just a little messy.Unfortuately, Dada got a real nice vest for us riders. It is just like one I wore when I started riding. It really keeps me steraight and I feel safer, too. I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-28161695645909653412008-05-14T21:04:00.001-04:002008-05-14T21:07:19.091-04:00Testing surpriseDada came up at the start of the lesson and said she had good and bad news. I think she exaggerated both.The bad news was that we aren't riding in a show this weekend. The arena or whatever had no mounting ramp, and while I have mounted often without a ramp, it isn't worth it. Weather looks questionable. We did not have ride times; we were hoping for cancellations.The good news was that there Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-59153346058089668272008-05-13T21:13:00.000-04:002008-05-13T21:20:06.304-04:00Quick picToo tired to write about my lesson tonight, but it was good. Will write more tomorrow but here is a photo. And I am not pregnant. Also, no show Sunday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30542158.post-37753484209943437842008-05-06T21:44:00.003-04:002008-05-06T21:51:14.953-04:00Practice makes perfect, but waiting's good, tooDada got lost on the way to lesson today. She called so we knew she was late; Mom even sort of gave her directions. I am useless on directions. What I did do was wait. Turns out that was just what the doctor ordered. I had a really good lesson.I don't know if it was because I was relaxed or really ready to ride, but T and I did some nice work. It definitely helped to have all the right gear at Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2