I am just back from the barn. Tonight, I was there all by myself. Indeed, somewhere around 15 horses, and little me. The chomping of hay, the swishing of tails, the eventual whinney and roll in the straw, the musky smell... how in the world did I get so lucky???
Well, a good look at my paddocks provided some hints : they used to be nice and shiny and now, they have this telltale wear around the edges. What used to be stiff leather is now supple and soft as skin. I now own four pair of breeches, some with knee patches, and even a full seat and now have personal preferences whereas just a little over a year ago I didn't have a clue and chose with colour in mind instead of functionality. So here's my take on what happened: one lesson at a time, one ride at a time, with patience and sometimes even stubbornness, I became a true rider!
What a precious gift I gave myself in choosing to ride and in being persistent.
Tonight, I wanted to practice having softer hands and properly bending corners. But Angie and I also did some shoulder and haunches in, serpentines, figures of eight, and even walk to canter on both leads and the dreaded down transitions... who would have thought? In september of 07, when I first saddled Easterner, the huge bay gelding I used to ride, I was nothing short of terrified and now, I am full of confidence and doing all of this by myself! Yes, ladies and gents, without the careful instructions of a coach (not that I don't value mine's input when she's there, aaaaall the contrary!!!)
I am so grateful! I just had to tell.
I'll be back for bragging session #2, so much stuff has happened it doesn't even fit into my head, let alone one skimpy blog post. ;-)
Cheers!
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