RustyMary
7th Sep 2006, 07:08 PM
I went to my second lesson at the new RS today - slightly nervous in case my enthusiasm had made it much better than it actually is. However I was not disappointed in any way! I rode Ginger again, and she is so great for me - just the right size and with so much to teach me. I was greeted by RI who said go and get her, groom and tack up, and see how you get on by yourself - if you want me I'm just here. I've never done the whole thing by myself and it felt great (:D ) to have the time to work it all out (RI's mantra is 'no stress') . I groomed her till she shone and she has the most fabulous copper highlights in her chestnut coat (promise pics soon). Hoof picked and then tacked up too, with a little bit of help from the sidelines, but the best I've ever done it.
In the riding bit we were just in walk, like last week, which is suiting me just fine while I get used to a lot of new ways of doing things. We were working on steering with just the leg, and again I was captivated by how responsive Ginger is and how I can turn her with the minimum of aids and yet still feel far more in control than ever before.
*short pause for grins* :D :D :D :D
Afterwards I took her grazing for a few minutes - more bonding time. I'm really impressed by their emphasis on this - I get the impression that if I just wanted to turn up to a ready tacked up horse, ride and go home again I wouldn't be very welcome. But as I'm after a relationship (someone on here put it really well 'I want a relationship, not a one night stand') it's absolutely perfect.
I learned a bit more about the set-up too today - they have more fields than I'd realised and all the horses go out for a few hours each day - I'd thought they were in all the time except when being ridden. They are all barefoot. There's a school and another field with jumps, and also other obstacles like bridges and narrow bits so people can practise before going out on trails. All in all it really does seem like a great place and I'm so excited at having found it.
Sorry this got a bit long - thanks for reading.
:)
In the riding bit we were just in walk, like last week, which is suiting me just fine while I get used to a lot of new ways of doing things. We were working on steering with just the leg, and again I was captivated by how responsive Ginger is and how I can turn her with the minimum of aids and yet still feel far more in control than ever before.
*short pause for grins* :D :D :D :D
Afterwards I took her grazing for a few minutes - more bonding time. I'm really impressed by their emphasis on this - I get the impression that if I just wanted to turn up to a ready tacked up horse, ride and go home again I wouldn't be very welcome. But as I'm after a relationship (someone on here put it really well 'I want a relationship, not a one night stand') it's absolutely perfect.
I learned a bit more about the set-up too today - they have more fields than I'd realised and all the horses go out for a few hours each day - I'd thought they were in all the time except when being ridden. They are all barefoot. There's a school and another field with jumps, and also other obstacles like bridges and narrow bits so people can practise before going out on trails. All in all it really does seem like a great place and I'm so excited at having found it.
Sorry this got a bit long - thanks for reading.
:)