Interesting Lesson Today

Just another update on my lessons, for anyone who is interested....

Today's lesson was interesting, but very good. I did 98% of the lesson off of the lunge line, so that was terrific!! I haven't had a lesson in (it seems like) 2 weeks because of the kidney stone, so it seemed like I forgot everything. But, when I got on Lucky everything came right back...like riding a horse....er, bike I guess that is.

There was another girl riding today, this was my first lesson while another rider was there and at first it made me nervous. She was 13 or 14 and a great rider, her name is Erica and she rides Echo. It turned out to work in my favor that Erica was there. I learned a lot just by watching her, and she's such a good kid.

Ok, the bad stuff, lol. I nearly fell off Lucky today. Yepper. My first real almost accident. But, it was so stupid and all my fault...of course. My feet were slipping a bit in the stirrups and I wasn't seated just right, but Lucky was moving slow and I decided that instead of stopping I'd just adjust myself. Stupid, stupid, **STUPID**. Right at the very moment I was adjusting Buzz yelled at me to get Lucky walking faster. Lucky heard Buzz and of course, he picked up his pace...and I nearly went down, but I caught myself. After about 20 seconds of feeling so stupid and scared and shocked I got myself back in line and realized that if I didn't take control of the situation Lucky was going to feel my crazy energy and then he'd start doing crazy things. So, I clucked him and we moved on. Lesson learned, big time. I guess that's how we learn sometimes.

Then a while later I got a leg cramp from my calf all the way up through my butt. I did stop for that, lol. The cramp was from my back. I think Buzz kinda wanted me to get down and end the lesson, but I just couldn't...that would have been giving in so to speak. So I went around the ring about 6 more times and did a few circles, big and small till I felt another cramp coming on, then I ended the lesson. This week I should be getting my Pilates DVD in the mail so hopefully the stretching will help with any cramping or goofy stuff like that. Oh, that ticked me off so bad. After it happened I was just determined to ride that horse...and I did, faster and more in control than ever I think. Best little circles I ever did do, LOL!

What was good about all of these little things going wrong though is that I got to face my fears. What if I start to fall off the horse? What if I get a leg cramp when I'm up on the horse, what'll I do, what would the horse do? Well, I found out all in one day and it wasn't that big of a deal. When I got the cramp it wasn't even a big deal. So, those fears are all laid to rest and can't bother me anymore.

It was great to have Erica & Echo in the ring, we were both doing figure 8's at the same time. It was very cool to see how Lucky responded to another horse being in the ring...nickering, etc. I am amazed at how much I picked up by watching Erica. Buzz had been telling me that my position in the saddle was good before, but I know I nailed it today...all from watching Erica. There's a ton of other things too...walking speed, foot and leg position, distance from the rail...too much to mention. I just feel like watching her really confirmed or corrected a lot of things for me.

Erica had Echo walking, doing a jog, trotting and she's just starting to cantor her. Very impressive young lady. If I ever have kids I'd like to have one like her....=^)

Anyway, it was a great lesson, and my fears are fading...fading...fading. Today I don't think I had the case of nerves even when I first got up on Lucky and I normally do have a least a bit. When Buzz first asked if I wanted the lunge line off (after about one & a half laps around the ring) I wanted to say no...but I thought, "Don't be a baby, you trust Buzz, you trust Lucky, you've done this before. Erica knows what she's doing. Go for it, have fun!!" He took the line off and 10 seconds later I wasn't even thinking about it. It was great.

One last funny thing. Echo had a little problem today...she left some little "gifts" in the ring. She took a dump in 3 different places. Lucky would *not* walk through it, which I found hilarious and didn't bother me at all. I wouldn't want to walk through it either. However, to keep him on the rail I had to make him walk through it. Yuck, poor horse. Maybe I should learn to jump??