Proud
There are days that I couldn't be prouder of my horse and today was one of them. I've been riding Achates pretty consistently over the past week and it feels great to be getting back to where we were. Since September I've been trying to change how I ride, focusing on getting away from using my hands and concentrating on more of what my body does. It has been both fun and frustrating playing around with exactly how each shift in my own body effects the way Achates moves. Thankfully during those frustrating times I was able to turn to a wonderful friend of
Fight
I haven't been to the barn since my fall mainly due to extreme soreness but tomorrow I will get out there, and I'm so excited to ride! I will also be riding with one of my lovely riding buddies and her magical Arabian, Jasper. I love riding with them so I'm really, really, really excited! Other than sitting tight I've been trying to take stock of exactly what I need to do to keep progressing with training and my goals. Today was a minor setback unfortunately, an opportunity that I had been looking forward to fell through. And if I'm honest with myself
Falling
Today was not the greatest day for me. I fell off of Achates when I went out to ride him and wasn't able to get back on, not exactly the happy reunion I was hoping for. My fall resulted in a plethora of bruises, some more severe than others. I went to the doctor's after to get checked out since I had also hit my head when I landed. Thankfully I got the all clear and was told to take it easy this weekend and then reassess, going from there. Falling off horses and accidents in the equine world happen everyday, all the time.
Lucky
I have mentioned from time to time that I have a wonderful support system. It consists of both friends and family but they are all people that believe and encourage me to do my best on a daily basis. I consider myself very, very, very lucky to have people like this in my life. This support system though would not be nearly as strong without the involvement on my family. They're loud, crazy, in my business 24/7 but without them I don't think I would have the self belief that I do. My parents and my younger brother have never told me "No,
Backwards but Forward
The barn Achates and I are at recently finished installing their outdoor arena. This is a VERY exciting development considering that our indoor arena is slightly larger than a 20 meter circle and I am more than excited to have some more room. The new arena isn't quite finished but I couldn't resist trying it out today. I decided to lunge Achates in it instead of riding him. Why? Because it's a completely new environment than what we've been working in this whole year and he deserves a chance to go through his emotions and let any steam he has out. The way I
Confidence is Key
Confidence is an intangible factor that effects our riding more than we can begin to imagine. It flows down from our body's and into our horses. This is why it's so important to build a good relationship and foundation with your horse. One that's built on trust and consistency. My friend V has been kind enough to let me work with her wonderful horse Chance. He is a talented Oldenburg gelding who has all the tools to be a great horse, but his spookyness and insecurities can and tend to get the better of him. Building Chance's confidence has been a fun learning
Changing it Up
When your horse is laid up and your training is on hold don't fret! There are so many other things that you can do, learn or train. Don't be afraid to change it up. Read horse books, go on Youtube and watch your favorite riders, or find another horse to work with. Use this time to keep yourself sharp and learn something new! Thankfully my trainer was nice enough to let me work one of her lovely horses. It was an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. The horse I worked today was Casey. He's a warm hearted boy with great work ethic! He's