I have had 8 lessons with Marie so far, and already my riding has improved dramatically. I am comfortable trotting, and can even steer and keep the horse going when needs be.
On Tuesday, I rode Dixie again. Dixie is a 19-year-old Thoroughbred mare with an Arab-like face. She belongs to the stable owners who allow Marie to use her for lessons a few times a week. She doesn't particularly like scritches, but she's an honest horse and I like her. We tack up and start our warm-up walk around the arena. Our second time around, I notice Eclipse in the next pasture lying down, not moving. Dixie saw him about the same time I did. Poor Dixie - she was convinced that the horse over there was dead and there had to be a monster lurking. I've never been with her when she spooked before, so I let her stop and look...and look...and loooooook. Then I asked her to move on. About that time, Eclipse started moving and Dixie decided maybe it was ok to keep going.
Our first few minutes of trotting were atrocious. I was all over the place, on the wrong diagonal, leaning forward, heels up, the works. Ugggh. This is what happens when it's been just over a week since you last rode! We trotted, worked on posting, worked on trotting in two-point (ow), worked on halting at a predetermined spot from a trot. I kept missing my stopping point by at least one stride - I tend to wait too long to cue the whoa. Worked on changing direction and dressage-y terms (how to do a 20-meter circle, etc). My sitting trot was horrible, I was having such a hard time moving with her. Then Marie gave us a small 'jump course' to do - poles were lying on the ground, but I had to navigate them in a certain order. Most of the poles were singles, but the second was a set of three. We were to start in a trot, come out of a corner, go over the first 'jump', cut across the arena to the triple poles, go around two corners, over a pole, cut across the arena for the last pole. Before getting to the poles, I was to go into two point to simulate an actual jump and allow Dixie to use to her back and neck. That first triple, poor Dixie hit every pole - guess I didn't give her the reins when I went into two point because I was still trying to collect myself after that last turn. The next several rounds were pretty good. She never hit another pole and I was collected enough to do proper two point position as we went over them. There by the end, my body had remembered how to sit a trot! And then it was over. I was absolutely exhausted and exhilarated. And HOT. Phew, Florida is awful in the summer especially when you're used to dry California summers. We rinsed Dixie off for a good 15 minutes but her veins were still visible when we put her in her paddock.
Things learned during our lesson - shoulders back immediately after two-point, none of this leaning forward stuff. Hips forward when posting, none of this leaning forward stuff. Heels down, even when cueing for a turn, none of this leaning stuff. See a pattern here? Yeah, me too. Also, I have got to start working my back muscles in between lessons - my muscles were so sore yesterday from all of the two-point. But, my two-point position has improved - I wasn't leaning on her neck to keep my balance. Small improvements, but it's nice to see progress.
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