I've decided I'm no good without a trainer of my own. Really. I can ride decently when I put some work into it but left to my own devices...I'm lazy. That's right, I admit it.
What's wrong with jogging my H/J TB like a western horse so I can sit the trot? Maybe, just maybe, because then I never build up the strength and balance to post? Oh yeah, that's right.
But having a trainer just does something to my brain. I can't fail them. I will post until I fall off the horse dead before I complain. I always try my hardest to do anything they ask. I'm learning to ask questions instead of getting anxious or frustrated. I never thought about it before but having given a few beginner lessons to kids myself I can tell you I can't stand when someone doesn't listen to me and try to do what I'm asking. They don't have to get it right, they just have to acknowledge me and try to get it. I guess maybe that makes me a good student although I don't think that's why I do it. It's an ego thing. I don't want to embarass myself, I want to be good at this. I want it so much and I have my whole life.
I had a fabulous lesson on Tax on Wednesday. It's like something just clicked into place. I had felt really off balance posting when we first started and I was recovering from surgery. All of a sudden my legs feel velcroed into place. My shoulders finally feel far enough back. Tax feels relaxed in his frame and forward in his movement. I even got a "that looks so much better; very good" from the trainer.
Do you know what that means to a h/j trainer? Toture time is just getting started. Time to start posting for an hour 3-5 days a week to build up my strength and muscle memory. Besides it's good for the horse. Am I regretting all the days I made my sister post without stirrups when we were kids? Nah...not really.
I watched her other student, Homer's dad canter big slow circles around the arena popping over fences every now and then and was just a little jealous. I am patient, I am patient, I am patient....breathe. Can I canter now? We should be able to start tonight as long as things go well. I'm also going to ride Promise for my sister because she's out of town. I'll let you know how it goes.
2 comments:
For a split second I though you may feel a little guilty for torturing me.... but nope! All you have to say for yourself is, "Can you hold up a little higher on his mane?" LOL! Thank you for riding P for me. I went out last night and realized what a work out he got. Did you think I wouldn't believe you rode if you wiped the lathered foam sweat off of everything? JK!!!
Huh, you sure get a lot of oriental spam... LOL! I am the same way, I teasingly bitch at my trainer but I appreciate her patience, she never gets mad, just keeps repeating the same thing, over and over, until I finally get it. Like a couple weeks ago, I finally got what she meant by "posting from the knees up-" as in, not standing on my toes, and just moving my hips and thights... I understood it in my head, but one day I finally just got it physically and was able to DO it.
The next thing is I am going to take saddleseat lessons on her old, reliable saddlebred in order to improve my seat... Lic has gotten into the habit of throwing a bucking fit when she's frightened (only away from home) and my default reaction is to clamp on with my lower leg... which is oh-so-helpful, especially since I wear spurs.... I never bump her by accident with spurs unless she starts a real bucking fit, which would be the *worst* moment to do so... LOL!
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