Guess What I found!

[KarinUS]

When I had my very first lesson in January of 2001 I started a 'riding diary' and I found it last night when I packed some boxes for my move.
One of my first entries was about my instructor trying to convince me to give English a try and me thinking: "No way! Only highly athletic and well balanced people could stay on in an English saddle!". I cautiosly agreed to take one English lesson just to see if I could survive it.
How funny is that?!
Plus when I started I really didn't like riding at all. I thought it was terrifying but I had wanted a horse since I was 8 (just keep, it, care for it, feed, brush, etc.) so I felt obligated to know how to ride. In the beginning I was sometimes relieved when they canceled the lesson.
Then in the Fall of 2001 there was a time when I felt completely unfit to progress in my riding.
Things started to get better in 2002. Funny how I have been complaining lately how my instructor (I switched to her in 2002) wasn't let me progress as fast as I would like to, but honestly I have never enjoyed riding as much as I do now. I feel comfortable and confident.
Of course having my DJ who I trust 100% helps quite a bit as well!

But funny how things change!

[NZhorserider]

Hehe, yeah things do change and in your case it's a good change. The "No way! Only highly athletic and well balanced people could stay on in an English saddle!" Made me laugh. It sounds like something one of my friends would say.

Grace:)

[Yann]

Isn't it funny when you look back at where you were? I'm not convinced that my riding has progressed very much technically (I'm still completely clueless about aids for advanced lateral work for example) but I do try to do things properly even when we're just out on hacks, and riding so much and so regularly must help develop things like feel and intuition.

I can remember telling someone a long time ago that my only riding ambition in life was to ride well enough to have a hairy little cob and ride it in the woods on summer evenings. One way or another that daydream came true and it's better than I could ever have imagined. As you say having a horse you trust and have a deep bond with is something very special:)

[kedwards]

Wow! Amazing how things change, isn't it? I keep a lesson journal, too, and it's both enlightening and entertaining to look back sometimes.

[galadriel]

Oh, Karin, that's too amusing. Very sweet to look back on now!

[Esther.D]

On a similar theme....I was looking back at some old diaries the other day - I was writing that if I ever got another pony as well as the shetlands it would be about 13.2hh, very athletic and quite lightly built......I was actually thinking of a good type of competition driving pony when I wrote that. But what do I have now (having completely forgotten that idea)? A 13.2hh lightly built very fast and athletic pony...ideal competition driving material - I wonder what my subconscious was saying when I chose Rupert? :D Funnily enough I turned down all the bigger horses and cobs.....Once a driver, always a driver evidently!

And it is catching up with me....although Rupert was bought categorically to ride rather than drive, I keep looking in the back of Carriage Driving magazine and saying to Stephen (without even thinking) oh look there's a nice vehicle/harness etc that would be great on Rupert :rolleyes: And the poor pony isn't even broken to drive :D One day maybe..........(we've almost solved the shying and I'm already working on getting his confidence to ride alone...a driving pony cannot be impossible to take out alone.......). Watch this space:)

[Laetitia]

I've got a set a 13.2hh leather harness for sale! and a presentation set.
Rupert sounds a smashing pony. L

[Esther.D]

Oooh don't tempt me Laetitia.....ok I give in can you pm me details :D Although I really shouldn't be thinking this before I have even started to break him to drive :rolleyes:

[KarinUS]

Esther,

I would take it as a sign! With x-mas just around the corner I see a 13.2 harness in your future...

:)

On a different note: I found some progress pics!!!

This is my very first ride on DJ in May of 2002. No rein contact so I must be doing some funky free-for-all walk?
http://www.freewebs.com/karin72/karindjfront.jpg

And here we are in November of 2003, doing a freewalk- still not perfect, but loads better I think...
http://www.freewebs.com/karin72/Nov_DJ_Freewalk.jpg

A lot of it actually fell into place only recently.
Here we are rushing down the long side in May of 2003:
http://www.freewebs.com/karin72/DJ_rush.jpg

And we finally got it together in October of 2003:
http://www.freewebs.com/karin72/DJBestcopy.jpg

And all of it in an English saddle...
If the pics don't work, try this LINK (http://www.freewebs.com/karin72/index.htm)

[kedwards]

Wow! He looks wonderful in that most recent picture!

I actually thought you two looked good in the May pictures too.

[Mehitabel]

don't the two of you scrub up well! you both look great.

[Hels]

wow - you two look great. You've come an awful long way in less than three years. Most people are still just having riding lessons and making sloooow progress!