The Little Fox, Spoogent, and Grapes!

There were only three people in our lesson today because the riding team had a show over the weekend and the riding team didn't come to lessons. It was really great. I like smaller lessons because we get more individual attention and we get to do lots of fun stuff. 

I started out on Jasmine again. She was very fun to ride. I don't mind that she goes so fast. She travels with her back hollowed so that it's a little uncomfortable, but it's okay. She's very controllable.  Now that I've been on her a few times, she doesn't even seem that fast anymore.

After riding Jasmine for a while, we switched horses and I got on Barney...no, no, SPOOGENT! :) I had a crop, but I really didn't use it that much on him. I just let him know that I had it. He wasn't that lazy for me.  I lost a stirrup while we were cantering once, so I just dropped the other one too. I didn't feel like fishing around for it. Then, Spoogent almost took off my foot on a jump standard. He's a sneaky little guy. 

I also rode GRAAAAAAPES, also known as Bugsy. Bugsy was a good boy for me. I haven't worked with him in a while, and I've missed him. I love cantering him. I also got to untack him, so we spent lots of time together. 

I had a wonderful lesson today. We're going to jump on Wednesday. I can't wait to see which horse I'll get. 

Whoops. Haven't done this in a while...

I've been really busy, so I haven't bothered to do this in a while.

Last week I rode Oliver, a big black Thoroughbred, and another horse whose name I never really learned. Her tack said one thing, while Teresa called her another. I want to say her name was April, though. On "April," I rode in another student's personal saddle, and it was absolutely amazing. I wish I had one like that. It even had those stirrups with the flexible black shock-absorbing stuff. "April" was also very fun to ride. I liked her a lot. Oliver was also lovely to ride. He was comfortable and very sweet. He was very tall, though. I haven't been on many tall horses at the school. 

This week, I jumped Jasmine again. We didn't really do any high jumps--just a single crossrail. We were working on telling where our horses took off (long, normal, or short) and judging strides. I had so much fun doing it. We also had a great time jumping together. Jasmine was so good. And I kept my stirrups the length I wanted them :) I was so happy.

I rode a gigantic bay gelding named Darby and that "lazy" chestnut gelding, Aussie, on Thursday. Darby was quite nice to ride, but he was very sensitive. He reminded me a lot of Stella. He also was a little fast, but I liked to ride him. He was so tall, but it was nice to ride a really tall horse for once. When we switched horses, I got Aussie. Everyone complains about how Aussie is so lazy, but I actually like him. I used a crop once, the first time I asked him to canter. After I showed him that I meant business, everything was fine. I never put it on him again, and I only had to use my legs. In fact, while I was riding a pattern, I noticed that I was carrying the crop upside-down, with the "using" part sticking straight up in the air out of the top of my fist. I don't understand where everyone else is coming from when they say they hate Aussie because he's lazy and mean. He's never lazy and mean with me. 

I brushed Stella last night, played with her, and fed her some treats. Today, I rode Tatiana and Stella. Stella was very good. I was actually going to jump her, but Mindy and Elizabeth finished up their jumping before we felt ready to go. That was okay, though. We had a very, very nice time on the flat. Larry even complimented us after the ride. Mindy and Elizabeth trotted and cantered bareback around the barn for a while. I thought about it, but Stella is a really, really uncomfortable bareback horse. 

I actually did sit on Stella bareback (She was wearing her blanket.) for around thirty seconds. Elizabeth and my sister held her in her halter while I mounted up, and they were going to lead me around. I just can't trust Stella in a halter alone, especially outside of the ring. Stella started getting upset and getting too strong for her leaders, so I just slipped off and decided I'd wait until I've got her in her bridle. I might try riding her in the blanket again. It made her withers a bit more comfortable, even though she was a little slick.

Thinking about bareback riding so much makes me think about Mac. He was such a comfy bareback horse. I miss him so much. It makes me tear up a little. I was just listening to "Asleep" by The Smiths, and it reminded me so much of the night I spent with him and those last few moments of his life.  In fact, the last song I sang to him, in the few minutes it took for the vet to get the injections ready, was a song by The Smiths. It was "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." I had to stop listening to that song for a very long time. Eventually I was able to hear it again without sobbing--and it's a good thing too, because I love it--but to this day I still find it almost impossible to listen to the song without thinking about Mac. I wish that he were still here. But I'm glad Stella is here for me now. 

This might be a long entry.

I have a lot to write about. First of all, I had a great weekend riding Stella and being at the barn. Second, we found something and it is SO AWESOME. 

I rode Stella on Saturday. It was a pretty good ride. My lower legs were doing something funny, though. I asked my mom to get a quick video of me posting the trot, and I realized that my legs were going everywhere. I was also in a chair seat. I'd suspected both things, even though I had no idea what the cause was. 

I also rode Stella today. Today was one of those rides where most everything was effortless. We were working together beautifully. I wish my mom had been around to get some video of me today, because I'm sure it was a wonderful sight. My hip locked once or twice, but that didn't bother me much. I just popped it back and rode on. It was the best ride I've had in a while. Larry also told me to take Stella out into the pasture. I walked and trotted her around a lot. I didn't canter because my hip locked again and I didn't want to push it. We had a great time trotting circles and serpentines up and down the entire pasture. Mindy also jumped Stella. I'm glad I wasn't jumping her. Mindy almost fell off twice because Stella pulled a few duck-and-spins, as well as stopping and spooking before a jump and then jumping it. I would've been in a world of pain; I haven't picked up my new bottle of painkillers from the pharmacy yet, and I have to jump tomorrow afternoon. Mindy rode her well, though, and Stella was a jumping fool by the time she got off. 

And...now for the thing we found in the woods. 

We walked out into the woods yesterday, farther than we'd ever gone. We found a very old trailer. The roof had caved in on the back side, but we could still go inside. We got up the gall to pry open the rusted doors, and then we found an old house from two decades ago. There were all sorts of things inside--old clothes, old books, old letters, old food in an old fridge...so much cool stuff. I just can't begin to describe it all. I took lots of pictures of everything. 

Oh, and I rode Stella.

I did get to ride a little this weekend, too. I rode Stella for a long time on Saturday, and I rode Chester for a few minutes on Sunday. 

I had a very good time with Stella. We worked the usual WTC, and I did lots of bending and leg yielding with her. It really didn't hurt that much when I was riding except when I cantered in one particular direction.  I did it anyway, though. The other direction was just fine. We had a few of those really nice moments where everything was effortless, but they were very short--a few strides in a row, at most. I had a lot of fun brushing and petting Stella after our ride. She's such a sweet creature. 

My ride on Chester was fun too. I worked without stirrups for the entire ride, even though I didn't ride for very long because he'd already been worked. Riding Chester always makes me think about Mac, mostly in a good way nowadays. I still miss Mac, but we've still got Chester. Chester was so good for me. We walked and trotted and did lots of circles and turns. We halted and backed and I patted him and rubbed his neck. I told Larry that I wanted to ride Chester bareback one day, and he asked me if I wanted to get hurt again. I just laughed, because we both know Chester would never try to do anything. And if I was daring enough to be the first person to ride Stella bareback, I can definitely start Chester bareback too. 

Stella was a little unnerved by the lack of saddle the first time I rode her bareback. Then, she bumped into the mounting block with one of her feet and took off trotting with me on her back. I wasn't quite ready for trotting on such a bony beast, but it was okay. I really haven't gone bareback on her much lately, mostly because I've been away and because she's got such prominent withers. It's not comfortable :P

Meh. Just meh.

So...yesterday's lesson left me feeling a little incompetent... 

I rode an absolutely adorable pony named Jasmine. She was a gorgeous chestnut with no white markings on her face. She had cute little ears like a fox. 

Everything started out well. We were riding around and I was having a good time working with Jasmine. Then, Teresa told me to shorten my stirrups. I didn't have a problem with them, but I listened to her anyway. Shortly after, my hip started hurting, even though I took a pain pill before I even came to the barn. 

My legs were way out in front of me and I was leaning forward--because my stirrups were too damn short! My hip kept on catching, and I had to stop once while we were cantering (the only gait that really makes it catch) to do my half-dismount-scissors thing. I was in excruciating pain, and that was before we even started to jump. 

Jasmine was a little uppity at the canter, and I felt that I should work her in a smaller circle in the center. She had comfortable gaits, but I don't think I've ever been on a horse who traveled with her back hollowed so much and so consistently. I tried to encourage Jasmine to lower her head and come onto the bit, but it just blew the poor pony's mind and got both of us a little frustrated. Oh well, I'm not in charge of training their horses--even though I feel sorry for the animals sometimes. 

Jumping was okay simply because I stayed on. On the first jump, a small vertical, Jasmine jumped WAY over the fence. That hurt my hip. The second jump was no better, and Teresa said that I was having trouble because my legs were too far forward. I went back to the lineup and promptly dropped my stirrups back to their initial length. From then on, the jumps were MUCH better...until a particularly rough landing ended my jumping for the day. It hurt EVERYTHING. It even hurt my neck, the same place it hurts from my old whiplash injury. My hip was gone, so I skipped out on the last set of jumps and just walked the pony around with no stirrups. 

From now on, I'm going to keep my stirrups at the length I'm comfortable with. If they're a little longer than what's considered ideal, so be it.

I was very sad after this ride. One of the girls in the lesson asked me why I ride if it hurts me so much.  I told her that I didn't know, mostly because I just didn't know what to say to that. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't ride, really. I think I'd be a very, very sad person. 

Sometimes I wonder the same thing, though. It's always an uncomfortable thought. I think I'll go do some Chemistry instead. Even Chemistry is less uncomfortable than thinking about not riding.

My hip still hurts.

Updates from this week.

Monday's lesson was not so good. I was in a world of pain from falling off on Sunday, and each part of my body had a different plan. My legs were flopping around everywhere, my hip kept catching when we cantered, my shoulders were rounded, and my hands weren't as soft as usual because my elbows wanted to lock up. I wasn't happy that we had to jump, either. 

I rode a large bay pony named Ducky. She was a cutie, and I would've had a pretty good time on her if I hadn't been hurting so much. I took a pain pill right before I left for class, and it didn't kick in until I was almost done riding--then I felt tired and unable to control my mind or my body. I don't think Teresa quite understood that I was in excruciating pain, even though I flat-out told her that I was hurting and that I'd fallen off the day before. Ducky was also a little uppity when we were jumping, which didn't help anything. I have to admit I was a little jittery about jumping because of Sunday's events, but I got over it quickly. I think I rode the fences pretty well, considering how I was feeling. 

Wednesday's ride was a whole lot better. I wasn't hurting anymore. I worked on the flat with a grey pony named Popsicle. I'm sure I've worked with her before. She's possibly the laziest pony I've ever been on. I asked her to trot the first time, and she PLANTED. I actually felt her plant herself to the ground from a walk, and I couldn't get her to move until I had a crop and spurs. Eventually we got on with just spurs. I hate using English spurs; I don't really do Western anymore, but I still prefer longer, roweled spurs. We did lots of work with one stirrup (which aggravates my hip at the posting trot), and we rode a pattern. We went over poles for a while. We also worked with half the class tracking left and the other half tracking right. I think I was the only person who picked the right direction the first time, thanks to Miss Janet :) 

I want to go home and ride Stella. I miss her. 

Number Eight

I rode a whole lot this weekend. We went to Miss Janet's again so that we could have another jumping lesson. Stella did choose to go over the poles for the most part, though she ran out a few times and I hurt my back quite badly. We popped over a few crossrails in a combination, and Mindy also took her through once or twice. We also worked on leg yielding. Stella did a nice job at the walk, trot, and one direction at the canter, but she absolutely refused to do it in the opposite direction. That was the direction where I had to use my "bad" leg, the one that hurts the most when I try to use it. We had a great lesson, though, and it was a lot of fun. I don't know when we'll go back, but Larry might take us again next weekend. 

Today I rode again. Larry told me not to longe Stella since I'd worked her pretty hard yesterday. I just got on her and started walking her around. Larry was working Tatiana in the ring, and he was trying to get her to go over some poles. He asked me to take Stella over the poles to "show Tatiana how it's done." 

I'm a sucker for irony, so I find the next bit hilarious. I walked Stella up to the poles, and she planted herself to the ground. Larry urged me to get her over, and I kept asking her to step over the poles. I don't know whether she jumped the poles or suddenly leaped into the trot, but I got knocked off balance. I held on just long enough for her to carry me past the gigantic mud puddle and more toward the center of the ring, and then PLOP I went. 

It was a really cool fall. I felt like I was defying gravity for quite a few seconds. My left wrist absorbed a lot of the impact, even though I tried not to land on it. I also hit my chin and almost broke off the visor of my helmet--a lovely faceplant. Larry had just disked up the ring the evening before and everything was still soft and damp from the precipitation a few nights before, so it wasn't too bad. To be honest, I think the feeling of cool, damp dirt against my skin is pleasant. I thought it was funny when I was lying there, because one of my first thoughts was, "Oooh, this actually feels kinda nice..." 

Larry asked me if I was okay, and then he started laughing at me and telling me that I wouldn't have fallen off if I'd been using a "good saddle" (a Western one, of course...sigh... :) ) like he'd suggested. Then he said that he always gets me into trouble. Ah, it's okay. It happens. 

The ride itself wasn't too bad. Stella was a little jittery after I got back on. She's really scared of people falling off of her or people falling off of other horses nearby, and I could tell she was still a little nervous for most of the rest of the ride. I also started stiffening up shortly after the fall, which didn't help me ride well or calm the horse down at all. My hip also kept catching when I cantered, and I kept on having to stop, dismount halfway, and wait for the little pop. 

I get to ride tomorrow too, which is exciting. Hopefully I'll get one of the horses that I really like, and hopefully I won't be too sore. (I'm not counting on it, haha. My shoulder is already touchy.)