... please gag me with a sock!
Ok, first of all, the BF is gone. That's it for that. Back to square one!
Then, Angie, the mare I had a half lease on, has been put on foal duty and inconspicuously moved from the barn before I could even say goodbye (and before the end of my half lease term...dammit!). And since I had gained a tremendous amount of confidence riding her, I'm a bit anxious (being the queen of anxiety and all...) that my next ride won't make me feel as bold and confident as she used to. So here again, back to square one!
So today, I was introduced to Lexie. My first reaction: gorgeous!!! She was very sweet while I saddled her and I thought we would make a great team. Well, not so much...
First of all, a few minutes after my lesson started it started raining very hard, and a barn being a barn, full of creaks and squeeks and wistles when it's windy, Lexie started spooking. Real bad! I must admit, I'm just not used to that. I managed to stay in the saddle (my only achievement in today's lesson) but did not enjoy the feeling one bit. So I became nervous...
And from there downhill. The canter was awful, I held her way too tight because I wanted to be in control of the NEXT spook, and when Cynthia told be to let go of her mouth, I lenghtened the reins which made me feel even less "in control" but she just meant to keep a soft hand in contact, to stabilize my hands. And there I was, trying my best (as Lexie was doing probably) but making her more and more frustrated with me, which in turn made me more and more nervous. We were spiralling downwards uncontrollably... End of lesson, by coach decreet. And was it ok with me!!!
So to reconnect with the equine species, I spent a few minutes in awe, looking at a 6 days old Halflinger foal that was born last Monday. Soooo cute! She's in the video as well, right after a few seconds of how I look when my confidence has been shaken and when I ride a horse that doesn't appreciate my "technique" so much...
Well, Cynthia told me we were not a match made in heaven anyway, and next week, I'm going to have to try another horse on the school roster. I do miss Angie already, and Meeka too. But I'm going to keep my hear open for another horse, and see what he or she has to teach me.
Lexie? She taught me horses aren't all equals, which is also true of men or women for that matter, and that you can't force some relationships if they're just not meant to be.
Did I tell you the BF was gone? Well then, I rest my case.
5 comments:
I'm real sorry to hear about the bf - and the new horsey!
You're right, sometimes horses and humans just don't click. You should be proud of yourself though, that you sat 3 spooks. Atleast you didn't get off after the 1st one right?
I rode a spooky horse last month, and if I had gotten him to halt at any point I would have definitely gotten off him. Strange to say, but now I know that I can sit his spooks and that what he really needs at those times is to be worked!
At the end of that lesson, he was soft, round and on the bit! Now I ride that horse whenever I can because I know the worst he can do, and the way to prevent it - he just needs to keep his attention on me! So whenever he starts to get looky or cranky, I just ask for a little more.
To each her own, but remember to be fair to yourself and focus on the positives.
Good luck fiding your match!
Hi Dea! It’s always nice to hear from you!
I had no idea there was such a compatibility issue between horse and rider so this really came as a HUGE surprise. I kind of makes sense though, they’re not motorbikes: they can actually feel us, our strength, our fear, our poise or our anxiety. And I guess I was not a cool rider enough for that mare whom, I have been told, is really attuned to her rider. So after that first spook (and my first ever…) I probably became too nervous for her to remain calm.
I think your technique of getting the horse to focus on you is amazing. Next time, I will certainly try that (if I can muster up the confidence!). Thanks for stopping by and do let me know if you ever decide to have your own blog, I would certainly like to read more about you!
Cheers!
MC
Sorry to hear about Angie and the bf!
But, like the other commenter said, you sat the spooks and stayed on...and it was your first ever? That's really good!
Some horses and riders just do not go together. Hope the other horse works out better for you...and if it doesn't, well, there are lots of horses out there; you'll find the one that is right for you.
Hi MC,
Thanks alot!
I think it's really interesting actually, the compatibility issue.
I ride in a group of about 10 and we're always switching the horses up, so we've all tried all of them by now.
Personally I don't like to ride the really big horses, I find it so much harder to follow their movements. Also, I tend to not gel with the herd leaders - I think because I'm just not 'leader' enough at this time to convince them that they should do as I say. And it starts right in the barn when I enter their stalls. It's like they can tell in a second whether I'm strong enough. Basically, if I don't get their respect in the beginning, then they are going to do half-assed work and no matter what I do, that's the way it is.
One thing is that I'm not a strong enough rider yet, but the more important (I think) is that I don't feel like I know enough yet to say definitively "This is what we're doing."
Also, really nervous horses and me don't work because I tend to back off if they show aggression/fear - like I think that they're showing me something is wrong and they must be right, right? Except that I should be then stepping in and showing THEM that everything is alright.
OK, maybe I should get a blog, seeing as I apparantly have a lot to say.
Always fun to read and relate to your adventures!
Oh yes Dea! And then I could relate to YOUR adventures! ;-)
Have a great day!
MC
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