Today was my first lesson in about a year and a half. I wasn't expecting perfection, but I was surprised (and to be honest, disappointed) in how much my body had forgotten.
The farm I went to was really spectacular. The facility was really nice and the grounds were just gorgeous!! The horses were all really happy, healthy and friendly and I really couldn't stop smiling! While I was waiting for my instructor to come up from where she was repairing fences in the field I gave some love to the horses in the barn and in the fields nearby. The smell of hay and horses, the atmosphere of happy horses grazing in the fields nearby and just the general intoxication of just being around horses again was amazing! I really could have kicked myself for not trying to get back into riding sooner. I've been missing so much.
My lesson horse was a cute little chestnut Thoroughbred gelding who was such a sweetheart! After grooming him and saddling up, we mounted and headed for the dressage arena. It felt so right to be back on a horse.
My riding instructor was wonderful. She was friendly, positive and very knowledgeable. She was also understanding to the fact that I hadn't ridden in a while, which I really appreciated.
In my lesson, the main things that she had me work on was keeping my legs and heels down (thinking about reaching to the ground with my legs and through my heels) and keeping my upper body and arms soft and giving. I tended to stiffen my upper body and arms resulting in a locked elbow and low hands. I'm trying to figure out why I did that. I didn't feel unsafe or out of my comfort zone and looking through the old pictures of myself riding, I feel like I never used to ride like this.
Another thing is my legs. I'm riding with the inside back of my leg instead of the inside front and allowing my leg to "lift up" resulting in a shorter, less stable and deep leg and my heels going up. Another thing was the lack of strength in my legs. I tried and I pushed and I found it extremely hard to correct my leg. On the few occasions that I could, it was even harder to keep.
In this picture you can see that even though my arms aren't as braced as they were in some other parts of the lesson, my heels are up and I'm "nagging" the horse with my heel instead of using inside calf pressure to ask him to go more forward. I'm also not pushing my weight down through my leg and heel, so my leg isn't long and down like it should be.
I also found it really hard to give aids with my inside calf. I want to say that the horse I was riding isn't as forward as the horses I was used to riding, but to be honest, that's completely untrue. Yes, the last horse I leased was a 16.2hh warmblood with a massive stride, but I also used to exercise and school many different kinds of horses and ponies. I ended up having this annoying, disgusting nagging heel and feeling like I have just become an ugly and really ineffective rider.
During the moments when everything came together, I opened my chest, relaxed my shoulders, raised and softened my hands and deepened my leg, everything came together nicely. The horse became softer, rounder, and I could really feel his back raise and his stride open up. You know, I don't really think I have ever ridden a horse that was THAT responsive to my seat. To go from hollow and sucking back to soft, round and forward by just adjusting my seat and position was pretty amazing. I feel like that's how it should always be :) hee hee
Right now I am trying to focus on the positives so as not to become weighed down by my body not responding the way it used to and the way I wish it would. I know that the fitness is an issue, and I was completely expecting that. Being riding fit is so different from other kinds of fit and I could barely canter a circle without huffing like the big bad wolf. We had a pretty awesome trot in the end which was just soft and forward and lovely and received some great compliments from the coach. But afterwards, I seriously thought I was going to puke. I was just like "No. You're good. Don't puke, just breathe". I'm so glad I didn't vomit!
I kinda like the lessons when I feel like that at the end. It means that I pushed myself and that I tried my best and it helps me to not look back on the lesson and wish I had tried harder. I also feel like once I get to ride more, I will become more fit and then working on pushing on my legs down and some of the other issues I have, will become easier. Thinking about it now, I honestly have no idea how I used to ride 5 horses a day after school, just a year ago!
After I gave my lesson horse some much deserved love, carrots and a wash, I downed an entire bottle of water and he went into his stall to have his supper. Matt (my boyfriend) and I walked around giving cookies to the other ponies and visited the two momma horses and their babies!
Aren't they just too cute!!? One of these little warmblood foals is a month old and the other is three weeks old. We gave the moms some very well deserved treats and then headed back home so that I could have a hot shower and take some Aleve.
I'm in the process of adding a list to my blog of things I need to work on, i.e riding fitness, pushing my legs down, softening my upper body, so make sure you look out for that!
Some more exciting news, I am in the process of trying to find a summer job doing something with horses (hopefully riding, but maybe working at a summer camp) and I should be getting a phone call about a possible position or more information on available positions. So hold thumbs everyone!
Also, if you (or anyone else you know) is looking for someone for a horsey position (uh, paid - I need to make money to put myself through college) in Easton, Maryland, I would be very very VERY happy to apply, be interviewed, and pretty much do anything you want me to do.
AND/OR, if you know anyone that needs a horse to be ridden/schooled/shown/exercised (maybe a project horse the owner doesn't have time for?) in Easton, Maryland, I would be very happy to do this free of charge, as long as I would have time to have a full time (possibly unhorsey) paid job elsewhere.
Does anyone else feel empty when horses aren't in your life?
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yay sounds like fun!!! glad you're getting back into it. i bet you can't wait to get back out!
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