Maybe with a break

Apparently Zoe has forgotten how to pick up her right lead. Or maybe her rider, me, is giving some confusing cues. Or maybe she's protesting having to work harder trying to pick it up while collected. Or maybe it's a combination of all of the above. Or maybe I'm obsessing about something that is really no big deal. Last summer while doing serpentines, we could change leads with just a trot step between...working towards flying lead changes. Apparently things are different now. We did manage to get the right lead with much work involved.
So to give us a break we went on the trail with a friend from work. She and her husband trailered to our staging area and off we went toward the lake. Jim and I went with this couple about a month ago and they were really excited about the area that we ride. They were so excited that they tried to find the lake on their own a few weeks after that and ended up on the rocky trail. Not good news for them. They didn't like it, got off and walked for about a mile, a bit too hard for their horses. So I took them on a ride and showed them how to get to the lake without using the rocky trail. They really liked it. It ended up being a long ride tho...2 hours to go 5 miles. They were ponying a horse and they don't trot much. And when they trot, it's pretty slow. I thought Zoe and I were slow. It ended up being a great ride tho, nice company and it was nice to show the place to riders that appreciated it. Zoe did pretty good too. The slower horses she adapted to. They had a dog that liked to walk/run behind the last horse-and sometimes we were the last horse. Zoe didn't mind the dog. Zoe liked to be in the lead or last. The middle was the challenging place for her. I think she didn't like how close the horses rode behind her. Anyway it was a good break from trying to get the right lead.

Lessons better/ankle better

Today was another dressage lesson, the 4th one. I was so happy-I got a complement!  He said my hands and feet were doing better! And my horse and I were doing better with different gaits. Progress. We didn't work on anything new, did more work on the leg yields. Zoe seems to do better at them at a trot because we have some forward momentum going. At the walk she seems so slow but he says that's okay. So we will work more on "form". I'm enjoying these lessons, there is so much precision, careful thought, physical demands on my horse and me-it's challenging.
On another note my ankle is now normal colored, but not normal in function. I'm convinced that nothing is broken but the muscles, tendons and ligaments are still sore.  Not as sore as the beginning, the swelling is down, not as painful but there is still a stiffness. I expect it will take more time to get full function back. But it is getting better.

Lesson and ankle update

My ankle still hurts. I'm totally weight bearing, the bones seem fine but the tendons and ligaments are protesting. And my foot is a rainbow of colors. However, I can still ride my horse. Stubborn I am. It doesn't bother me to ride at all. So with that in mind I went out for a short trail ride on Wednesday. Zoe and I did fine. It was nice to get out on the trail. The past 2 weeks have been rainy or I have been recuperating from my ankle injury, so I have only been riding in the arena.
I had my third dressage lesson on Thursday. We worked on my feet staying still-again.  I must be doing a bit better because we didn't focus on it as much as before.  I have some ideas to help me with that.  My hands must be doing better because we didn't get reminded about them as much.  We cantered again and I really like her at the canter in my lessons.  She reminds me of a rocking horse.  We also worked on leg yields, inside leg to outside rein.  Lots to remember.  I have an extra week to practice this month as my next lesson is at the end of the month.  Hopefully I will make more progress.

Note to self…again

Seems like I spend a good amount of time making sure that my horse has good footing out on the trail.  I'll avoid or go around "nasty" spots.  But I also need to make sure that I spend time watching out for my own footing as well.  That way maybe I won't roll my ankle when stepping off the tractor.  Ouch!

September interruption

So this September this blog will once again be interrupted by the birth of another baby!  Exciting times!

Comfort zones

Zeke is a fearless 2 (almost 3) year old.  He loves his horses.  He has a book that he loves called "The Big Red Barn"  He call this place his "Big Red Barn".

It's a good thing these horses are so good with little people.  I still watch him closely tho.  

Starting From Scratch

Today I had my second dressage lesson. We covered things from my first lesson plus added a few more things. I don't know what I was thinking-I thought I knew how to ride a horse but sadly I've been mistaken.  All in all I feel like I'm starting all over again, in a good way.

I knew my ever wiggling hands and feet would get me in trouble and sure enough it was one of the first things we worked on.

My horse is on the lazy side of life and over the years I do a lot of the work for her- meaning I keep her going instead of Zoe keeping herself going. My horse has me trained really well that way.  So now I'm retraining myself and Zoe too.

The way I learned how to ride is now obsolete. Look, leg, rein doesn't apply anymore. So getting what I want happens differently.  I totally have the mental picture of what I'm supposed to be doing, physically doing it...is another story.

I need to find more time to practice.  Even tho my lessons are every other week, I find that I need more time.  It would be great if I was a "natural" at this, but sometimes I have to work at it.  I suppose in time all these new things will become second nature.

It's a good thing that I can relearn something AND my horse can relearn something.  My horse will probably appreciate all this as it means that she will be able to use her body more effectively.

I guess as time goes on I will be better at explaining how things are so different now.  But for now I just want to think things over and practice, practice, practice.