I have to confess that, not surprisingly, I've been quite anxious each time I've gotten on a horse in the past year. That tight nervous feeling that creeps up the back of my throat when I see the saddle before me, waiting for me to sit down and pick up my stirrups. I hate that particular feeling and have come to ignore it for the most part when I've ridden recently.
Today, I rode my bosses "baby" again, a big black and well trained gelding named Tyrone. My boss was absent, so I was on my own in caring for and riding him properly. I had to be especially careful with him because of coffin bone and foot problems, so I can't turn him tightly, etc. I got on him and started loosening up when a funny sensation hit me over the head. The entire ride, I couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't a physical sensation, but it spoke to me like one.
Tyrone and I flatted for about 25 minutes, walking, trotting, cantering. Since he's so well trained, I can take the opportunity to not worry about what he's doing and focus instead on my riding, making sure my heels are stretched down, I'm sitting tall, being clear with my aids and so forth. Some siblings of a lesson student wandered over to watch, and T and I paused to say hi and chat for a moment. I found myself smiling and answering questions about Tyrone, and then we went on our way to finish his exercise.
On our last canter lap, I let him stretch down and extend his canter, and I stood up into my jumping position to stretch my legs and heels down. I pulled my shoulders up and smiled. Then it hit me; that odd sensation wasn't a presence of a feeling, but an absence. I hadn't tightened up and or been anxious once, and this sensation was the confidence I'd felt years ago when I happily hopped on stubborn horses to jump them without a second thought.
I think it pretty much goes without saying that I'm relieved to have that confidence coming back. I'm fortunate to have been given the chance to ride Tyrone, since my boss is very cautious with him since he's such a fantastic horse. I'm looking forward to more rides with him where I can relax and focus on what I'm doing instead of worrying about what the horse will do.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Weekend
Sorry that this post took a while; it's been a busy weekend.
On Saturday, we went to a local schooling show, and I showed the pinto mare in Hunter Eq, managed to come away with a couple ribbons. It went well considering I'd ridden the horse once before and I was a bit rusty. On the fly, I hopped on another pony to show in a flat class and managed a 3rd place.
Sunday evening, we spent time with the owners of the Friesian; I think they'll be great friends, and I've already been offered a ride on the gelding, who happens to be a son of a stallion that I've heard of. Then today, I got to ride my bosses "baby" since he'll be needing exercising throughout the week; he's a very well-trained horse, "made" as we call it. I could steer him just by looking, and he'll help me to lighten my leg aids well since I'm used to riding horses with dead sides.
Possibly more later.
On Saturday, we went to a local schooling show, and I showed the pinto mare in Hunter Eq, managed to come away with a couple ribbons. It went well considering I'd ridden the horse once before and I was a bit rusty. On the fly, I hopped on another pony to show in a flat class and managed a 3rd place.
Sunday evening, we spent time with the owners of the Friesian; I think they'll be great friends, and I've already been offered a ride on the gelding, who happens to be a son of a stallion that I've heard of. Then today, I got to ride my bosses "baby" since he'll be needing exercising throughout the week; he's a very well-trained horse, "made" as we call it. I could steer him just by looking, and he'll help me to lighten my leg aids well since I'm used to riding horses with dead sides.
Possibly more later.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Day the First, Part the Second
When we last saw our heroine, she was facing a very great conflict in her head about jumping a horse she'd never ridden before.
Er... make that a pony. She's a little brown and white pinto and looked pretty unassuming and simple, and overall behaved except for sometimes drifting towards gates if her rider doesn't pay attention. My boss also told me (AFTER I was on the pony warming her up) that she likes to take long distances to jumps if it works out.
Oh GREAT! A too long distance to the jump is what threw me off over a jump like a lawn dart last year (for the nonhorsey readers... seeing a "distance" is being able to find an appropriate takeoff spot before a jump and make your horse get there). But, I reminded myself of my promise to kick my fear in the teeth this summer and went on with my head high.
Riding a pony when you're more used to a large, lanky and lumbering warmblood is quite a culture shock, but I adjusted well, felt fairly secure in the saddle. This pony liked to motorcycle around corners a little at her little jackhammer canter, but that only required staying up tall, balanced and opening a little outside rein to keep her where I needed her to be.
Then came the jumps. *dum dum DUM*
It was an eensy weensy itty bitty (no yellow polka dot bikini here) crossrail. This pony would most likely trot it. I first trotted to it and just glued my eyes on the far wall, ignoring that there was a "jump" as much as appropriate. We hopped over, I remembered how to release and that was that.
Cool! Then I had to canter it. Six months ago, I would have begged to just trot the jumps for today, but with a schooling show looming tomorrow, I just nodded, picked up a lead, sat up tall and went for it. And darn it, my boss had gotten sneaky and moved it up to a vertical.
She took the long distance. Anytime in the past year, it would have completely wigged me out (my fall was on a similar height brown pinto pony too), but I could tell when she was going to leave the ground, and I was able to read that from her. I got my heart back under control, and did it again, sat up taller this time and we nailed the perfect pony distance. Then we switched directions, with the same result. All I had to do was make sure I wasn't hanging onto her face, sit up and keep her quiet to the jump, and she would tell me precisely when and how far we were going when we got there.
I was feeling a tad more relaxed at this point, but I could tell by looking at my boss that I was far from done. She told me to take a line (two jumps with five or six strides between them) and just take them the exact same way. The only difference was that I needed to get organized with myself and the horse between them. I will not deny that my heart picked up a little, but I still bashed my inner self over the head with my promise. We took the line, no muss, no fuss. I landed a tad sloppy over the first jump and it took me a couple strides to get ourselves together, but we got through it without slinging around like orangutans. Then we switched directions and took a slightly bigger line on the other side of the ring-
OH, the ring! This outdoor covered ring is fantastically beautiful in a subtle and elegant way. At the far end of the ring and down both sides, the way the hills are situated around it have you looking DOWN from the ring, right out at treetops bordering the pastures surrounding it. It's a breathtaking view and made me feel very elite for some reason.
Okay, back to the regular program. So we got through the second line, and this time it only took me one stride to get organized and my boss said we were dead on almost instantly, so that was encouraging. I was starting to get the feel for how this mare worked in terms of keeping her forward enough to get us somewhere, but also keeping her quiet and organized. Then my boss said "Let's do a course!"
My heart hit the saddle, but I just nodded, thinking she'd use just the jumps we'd done. She set us up to take one line, circle and switch directions, take our first vertical, circle, take the second line, then ride around the far end and finish off with the big wide gray box covered in flowers.
WHAT??!! It was only a 2' jump, but it looked enormous to me. It was wide, it was solid, it was colorful, it was a new jump, it was...
It was part of my course. I took a deep breath and off we went. Halfway through, I was feeling great; the mare and I were either nailing our distances, or she was clear enough to tell me when she was leaving the ground that I could stick with her and make it look pretty still. But there was still that wall to get over...
Some may think me a coward for getting worked up over a relatively little jump, but it was a big deal to me. Here I was, on a brown pinto pony very similar to the one that had shaken me loose, on a similar summer day, headed straight for a VERY similar jump that had started this whole thing in the first place! I got the more pointed at it, sat up tall and drove for it, but I could barely draw in air through my closing throat. I breathed as deeply and calmly as I could, remembered "tea" (my boyfriend will get it). The mare leaped over with all her heart, and I can guarantee that my smile has rarely been bigger than it was by the time we landed.
Both my boss and her husband broke out cheering and clapping, and I was shaking with relief and joy as I brought the mare down to a walk and hugged her, so grateful for her pluck. I'd had trepidations about this first lesson; I haven't ridden intensively in quite some time, this was an unfamiliar horse, with an unfamiliar instructore, and unfamiliar jumps and surroundings. Good grief, I hadn't been over anything bigger than a trot pole in almost ten months!
So needless to say, I feel very good right now, and ready for tomorrow's show. Even though it's a very casual and laid back affair, I'll probably stick to doing an 18" jump course (the rule of thumb is usually show one notch under what you're training at). The day went smoothly, I'm getting along with both my boss and her husband (who is quite a character and micromanager, but I think we've struck an understanding that I want to do well, and he's very kind about corrections), and I'm ready to see what tomorrow holds. Hopefully, it'll go just as well (heck, I'll even take half as well) as it did today :)
~J
Er... make that a pony. She's a little brown and white pinto and looked pretty unassuming and simple, and overall behaved except for sometimes drifting towards gates if her rider doesn't pay attention. My boss also told me (AFTER I was on the pony warming her up) that she likes to take long distances to jumps if it works out.
Oh GREAT! A too long distance to the jump is what threw me off over a jump like a lawn dart last year (for the nonhorsey readers... seeing a "distance" is being able to find an appropriate takeoff spot before a jump and make your horse get there). But, I reminded myself of my promise to kick my fear in the teeth this summer and went on with my head high.
Riding a pony when you're more used to a large, lanky and lumbering warmblood is quite a culture shock, but I adjusted well, felt fairly secure in the saddle. This pony liked to motorcycle around corners a little at her little jackhammer canter, but that only required staying up tall, balanced and opening a little outside rein to keep her where I needed her to be.
Then came the jumps. *dum dum DUM*
It was an eensy weensy itty bitty (no yellow polka dot bikini here) crossrail. This pony would most likely trot it. I first trotted to it and just glued my eyes on the far wall, ignoring that there was a "jump" as much as appropriate. We hopped over, I remembered how to release and that was that.
Cool! Then I had to canter it. Six months ago, I would have begged to just trot the jumps for today, but with a schooling show looming tomorrow, I just nodded, picked up a lead, sat up tall and went for it. And darn it, my boss had gotten sneaky and moved it up to a vertical.
She took the long distance. Anytime in the past year, it would have completely wigged me out (my fall was on a similar height brown pinto pony too), but I could tell when she was going to leave the ground, and I was able to read that from her. I got my heart back under control, and did it again, sat up taller this time and we nailed the perfect pony distance. Then we switched directions, with the same result. All I had to do was make sure I wasn't hanging onto her face, sit up and keep her quiet to the jump, and she would tell me precisely when and how far we were going when we got there.
I was feeling a tad more relaxed at this point, but I could tell by looking at my boss that I was far from done. She told me to take a line (two jumps with five or six strides between them) and just take them the exact same way. The only difference was that I needed to get organized with myself and the horse between them. I will not deny that my heart picked up a little, but I still bashed my inner self over the head with my promise. We took the line, no muss, no fuss. I landed a tad sloppy over the first jump and it took me a couple strides to get ourselves together, but we got through it without slinging around like orangutans. Then we switched directions and took a slightly bigger line on the other side of the ring-
OH, the ring! This outdoor covered ring is fantastically beautiful in a subtle and elegant way. At the far end of the ring and down both sides, the way the hills are situated around it have you looking DOWN from the ring, right out at treetops bordering the pastures surrounding it. It's a breathtaking view and made me feel very elite for some reason.
Okay, back to the regular program. So we got through the second line, and this time it only took me one stride to get organized and my boss said we were dead on almost instantly, so that was encouraging. I was starting to get the feel for how this mare worked in terms of keeping her forward enough to get us somewhere, but also keeping her quiet and organized. Then my boss said "Let's do a course!"
My heart hit the saddle, but I just nodded, thinking she'd use just the jumps we'd done. She set us up to take one line, circle and switch directions, take our first vertical, circle, take the second line, then ride around the far end and finish off with the big wide gray box covered in flowers.
WHAT??!! It was only a 2' jump, but it looked enormous to me. It was wide, it was solid, it was colorful, it was a new jump, it was...
It was part of my course. I took a deep breath and off we went. Halfway through, I was feeling great; the mare and I were either nailing our distances, or she was clear enough to tell me when she was leaving the ground that I could stick with her and make it look pretty still. But there was still that wall to get over...
Some may think me a coward for getting worked up over a relatively little jump, but it was a big deal to me. Here I was, on a brown pinto pony very similar to the one that had shaken me loose, on a similar summer day, headed straight for a VERY similar jump that had started this whole thing in the first place! I got the more pointed at it, sat up tall and drove for it, but I could barely draw in air through my closing throat. I breathed as deeply and calmly as I could, remembered "tea" (my boyfriend will get it). The mare leaped over with all her heart, and I can guarantee that my smile has rarely been bigger than it was by the time we landed.
Both my boss and her husband broke out cheering and clapping, and I was shaking with relief and joy as I brought the mare down to a walk and hugged her, so grateful for her pluck. I'd had trepidations about this first lesson; I haven't ridden intensively in quite some time, this was an unfamiliar horse, with an unfamiliar instructore, and unfamiliar jumps and surroundings. Good grief, I hadn't been over anything bigger than a trot pole in almost ten months!
So needless to say, I feel very good right now, and ready for tomorrow's show. Even though it's a very casual and laid back affair, I'll probably stick to doing an 18" jump course (the rule of thumb is usually show one notch under what you're training at). The day went smoothly, I'm getting along with both my boss and her husband (who is quite a character and micromanager, but I think we've struck an understanding that I want to do well, and he's very kind about corrections), and I'm ready to see what tomorrow holds. Hopefully, it'll go just as well (heck, I'll even take half as well) as it did today :)
~J
Day the First
The author would like to state before really getting into the material that she is a very tired puppy.
I'm not quite sure where to start on describing this place. It definitely "feels" like the south from what I remember of my trips through the Carolina's and Virginia. The air hangs heavier, the bird songs are different, the trees are big and very green and lush, the oaks are thick and twisted. I'm loving all the hills here; most of the pastures on the farm are built on some kind of slope. The horses have to be careful when they lie down to roll; otherwise, they might turn a few more times than they want!
The particular stable I'm residing at is quite lovely. This house partially very old, from the 1840's, I believe. That's pre-Civil War! (Or the War of Northern Aggression, as it's understood in some parts here). There are a lot of turning hallways because the original house was added onto bit by piece to reach another structure, so one pretty much has to walk east to go north through the house. I have the front room that looks right onto the porch, and after a few years in the dorm, it feels like an enormous room. The windows are narrow, but quite tall, and the place has a very plantation feel to it.
Okay, on to the important part... the HORSES! These critters are going to be a dream to handle compared to some of the beasts-on-wheels that I've encountered. The worst here is a tall and handsome 3 y/0 chestnut (not to be confused with the OTHER tall hand chestnut) who likes to dance a little on his way to the paddock because he knows he's going to play. The barns are simple and a little worn around the edges, but the couple who run the place keep it very neat and organized, so it's pretty and charming since you can tell there's some history to it. There are 12 horses total here, and I discovered that one of them (much to my delight) is a tall, very dark and very handsome Friesian gelding named David. For those of you who aren't so familiar with me, Friesians are my absolute favorite, and I take any chance to just get a glimpse of them even. His owner, one of the two boarders, is a very nice lady, so I may get a chance to ride him sometime...
Speaking of riding, my boss's husband didn't waste any time getting me busy besides just managing the barn. When I arrived, he looked me up and down and asked if I'd been riding much lately. I replied that I had been riding a bit, and the rest of the conversation went something like this:
Him: "Well, we have a couple ponies that need schooled and ridden in a little schooling show here soon. Think you could get ready to do at least one of them? The mare can be a bit tricky..."
Me: "Sure. I love ponies. Give me a week and we'll be as good as gold."
Him: "Well, you don't have a week."
Me: "How long do I have?"
Him: "The show is Saturday." (This is stated to me Thursday evening)
Me: "Well, okay."
Him: "And the mare needs to jump."
(At this point, I'm internally wigging out. After a bad fall over a jump last year, I've been terrified to jump anything over tiny crossrails)
Me: "Jump how high?"
Him: "About 2'."
Me: *mentally yelling DEATHDEATHDEATH* "Sure, I'm game."
I'll be getting on the mare in the next few hours. We're not anticipating problems; she's a cute little rockstar, but needs a slight attitude adjustment over jumps. My boss understands where I'm coming from on the jumping thing, so we'll work on this afternoon, and off I go tomorrow if it progresses decently. "Okay Jenn, you have an afternoon ride to get over the lack of confidence that's been haunting you for a year!" Ooooookay.
I knew this would possibly happen (me jumping, just not this soon!) so I promised myself that this summer would not be one of fear for me. At least... external fear. I have to get over this, so I told myself that I would do it, no ifs, ands or buts. I don't doubt that part of my brain might call me some unsavory words for this mentality, but I believe it'll be good for me.
So far, I really enjoy being here. It'll take me a few days to settle into the routine and peculiarities of the place and the horses. My day began at 7 this morning with breakfast, then feeding horses, cleaning stalls, turning out the horses, then I began the oh-so-fun-but-doesn't-need-to-be-done-all-the-time task of cleaning the algae out of all the paddock water troughs. One horse showed his playful colors by trying to shove me into one as I bent over to scrub the bottom of it. Eight water troughs later, it was noon, and I got invited down to the (completely GORGEOUS and comfy) covered ring to watch my boss school a horse. Then they insisted I go eat, so I obliged them and now I'm relaxing a little until my ride time with April. Then I imagine we'll bring in the horses, feed and water them, and wrap up the day. I'm sitting here and keep glancing out the window to make sure it hasn't started raining; there are at least 2 horses that would have to come in if it rains because of their soft feet issues.
I'll try to have pictures later; the trees and pastures here are unbelievable.
I'm not quite sure where to start on describing this place. It definitely "feels" like the south from what I remember of my trips through the Carolina's and Virginia. The air hangs heavier, the bird songs are different, the trees are big and very green and lush, the oaks are thick and twisted. I'm loving all the hills here; most of the pastures on the farm are built on some kind of slope. The horses have to be careful when they lie down to roll; otherwise, they might turn a few more times than they want!
The particular stable I'm residing at is quite lovely. This house partially very old, from the 1840's, I believe. That's pre-Civil War! (Or the War of Northern Aggression, as it's understood in some parts here). There are a lot of turning hallways because the original house was added onto bit by piece to reach another structure, so one pretty much has to walk east to go north through the house. I have the front room that looks right onto the porch, and after a few years in the dorm, it feels like an enormous room. The windows are narrow, but quite tall, and the place has a very plantation feel to it.
Okay, on to the important part... the HORSES! These critters are going to be a dream to handle compared to some of the beasts-on-wheels that I've encountered. The worst here is a tall and handsome 3 y/0 chestnut (not to be confused with the OTHER tall hand chestnut) who likes to dance a little on his way to the paddock because he knows he's going to play. The barns are simple and a little worn around the edges, but the couple who run the place keep it very neat and organized, so it's pretty and charming since you can tell there's some history to it. There are 12 horses total here, and I discovered that one of them (much to my delight) is a tall, very dark and very handsome Friesian gelding named David. For those of you who aren't so familiar with me, Friesians are my absolute favorite, and I take any chance to just get a glimpse of them even. His owner, one of the two boarders, is a very nice lady, so I may get a chance to ride him sometime...
Speaking of riding, my boss's husband didn't waste any time getting me busy besides just managing the barn. When I arrived, he looked me up and down and asked if I'd been riding much lately. I replied that I had been riding a bit, and the rest of the conversation went something like this:
Him: "Well, we have a couple ponies that need schooled and ridden in a little schooling show here soon. Think you could get ready to do at least one of them? The mare can be a bit tricky..."
Me: "Sure. I love ponies. Give me a week and we'll be as good as gold."
Him: "Well, you don't have a week."
Me: "How long do I have?"
Him: "The show is Saturday." (This is stated to me Thursday evening)
Me: "Well, okay."
Him: "And the mare needs to jump."
(At this point, I'm internally wigging out. After a bad fall over a jump last year, I've been terrified to jump anything over tiny crossrails)
Me: "Jump how high?"
Him: "About 2'."
Me: *mentally yelling DEATHDEATHDEATH* "Sure, I'm game."
I'll be getting on the mare in the next few hours. We're not anticipating problems; she's a cute little rockstar, but needs a slight attitude adjustment over jumps. My boss understands where I'm coming from on the jumping thing, so we'll work on this afternoon, and off I go tomorrow if it progresses decently. "Okay Jenn, you have an afternoon ride to get over the lack of confidence that's been haunting you for a year!" Ooooookay.
I knew this would possibly happen (me jumping, just not this soon!) so I promised myself that this summer would not be one of fear for me. At least... external fear. I have to get over this, so I told myself that I would do it, no ifs, ands or buts. I don't doubt that part of my brain might call me some unsavory words for this mentality, but I believe it'll be good for me.
So far, I really enjoy being here. It'll take me a few days to settle into the routine and peculiarities of the place and the horses. My day began at 7 this morning with breakfast, then feeding horses, cleaning stalls, turning out the horses, then I began the oh-so-fun-but-doesn't-need-to-be-done-all-the-time task of cleaning the algae out of all the paddock water troughs. One horse showed his playful colors by trying to shove me into one as I bent over to scrub the bottom of it. Eight water troughs later, it was noon, and I got invited down to the (completely GORGEOUS and comfy) covered ring to watch my boss school a horse. Then they insisted I go eat, so I obliged them and now I'm relaxing a little until my ride time with April. Then I imagine we'll bring in the horses, feed and water them, and wrap up the day. I'm sitting here and keep glancing out the window to make sure it hasn't started raining; there are at least 2 horses that would have to come in if it rains because of their soft feet issues.
I'll try to have pictures later; the trees and pastures here are unbelievable.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The day J purposely misspelled something...
So this font is apparently called Georgia... rather ironic.
Yeah yeah yeah... I know there's no "j" at the beginning of Georgia, as the title of the blog might indicate, but I was going for cute points there, so bear with me.
If you're unfamiliar with my (VERY QUICKLYYYYYYY) approaching summer plans, allow me to briefly recap. I intend to keep some semblance of anonymity here, so if you want a writing address and stuff, comment and I'll email you or something more private like that.
OKAY! So, you've probably figured out by now that Georgia has something to do with my summer (or should that be the other way around...?) Anyways, I've been hired as a barn manager for a hunter/jumper show and lesson barn near Atlanta. If you want the full story as to how I managed that, remind me in a comment and I'll do a blog post about it sometime... maybe. I will be at this barn all summer, until early August, when I must return to my hometown in Indiana and start my student teaching (more excitement!). Many of you know that I fully intend to run my own barn someday, so I'm very hopeful for this summer as a chance for me to acquire a business role model, great horse people connections and relationships, and also a time to expand the skills I currently have.
I will TRYTRYTRY to have as many pictures as possible for the visually curious. Since I'm the one doing a lot of the work and riding, I may not always be able to have another body around to snap some for me, so please be patient with me on that front. I'm hoping to have the chance to show a bit as well, so hopefully some pictures will come out of that should it happen.
I leave this Thursday, and I hope to blog as often as I can, especially when I have stories to tell (and I'm sure there will be some!). Please be praying for me to have strength and courage, since this is truly a "leapt before I looked" opportunity for me. I will be away from my family and boyfriend all summer, so please keep them in your prayers for strength and patience. If you happen to be a "random reader" and don't pray, you should try it someday ;)
Comments are welcomed, as well as constructive criticism, as this will definitely be a period of learning for me. Later!
~J
Yeah yeah yeah... I know there's no "j" at the beginning of Georgia, as the title of the blog might indicate, but I was going for cute points there, so bear with me.
If you're unfamiliar with my (VERY QUICKLYYYYYYY) approaching summer plans, allow me to briefly recap. I intend to keep some semblance of anonymity here, so if you want a writing address and stuff, comment and I'll email you or something more private like that.
OKAY! So, you've probably figured out by now that Georgia has something to do with my summer (or should that be the other way around...?) Anyways, I've been hired as a barn manager for a hunter/jumper show and lesson barn near Atlanta. If you want the full story as to how I managed that, remind me in a comment and I'll do a blog post about it sometime... maybe. I will be at this barn all summer, until early August, when I must return to my hometown in Indiana and start my student teaching (more excitement!). Many of you know that I fully intend to run my own barn someday, so I'm very hopeful for this summer as a chance for me to acquire a business role model, great horse people connections and relationships, and also a time to expand the skills I currently have.
I will TRYTRYTRY to have as many pictures as possible for the visually curious. Since I'm the one doing a lot of the work and riding, I may not always be able to have another body around to snap some for me, so please be patient with me on that front. I'm hoping to have the chance to show a bit as well, so hopefully some pictures will come out of that should it happen.
I leave this Thursday, and I hope to blog as often as I can, especially when I have stories to tell (and I'm sure there will be some!). Please be praying for me to have strength and courage, since this is truly a "leapt before I looked" opportunity for me. I will be away from my family and boyfriend all summer, so please keep them in your prayers for strength and patience. If you happen to be a "random reader" and don't pray, you should try it someday ;)
Comments are welcomed, as well as constructive criticism, as this will definitely be a period of learning for me. Later!
~J
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