LindaAd
10th Sep 2006, 03:18 PM
OK, in the first lessonI was so pleased I could ride at all everything was wonderful. The second lesson was when I realised how far I had to go ...
Second lesson they gave me a huge black (dark brown really) carthorse with a Roman nose. I'd seen someone else ride her in my first lesson, and she went around with her mouth open, ears back, rolling eyes - scarey! This time, the chap who'd ridden her had my nice chestnut mare, and he looked a hundred times better on her, so I expect I looked a hundred times worse on scarey Molly - who isn't actually scarey at all, just a bit lazy and very bouncy...
She stopped three times for a wee - stopped dead, no warning, always in the same place, and didn't produce anything until the third go, that's a bit disconcerting. Then I had trouble getting her to canter - RI said to use my stick, but I knew it was my fault, my instructor always says sit tall, shorten your reins and think canter, so I did that, looked to the outside, and it worked. Good horse.
Lots of work over trot poles, standing in stirrups (very difficult for those with no muscles), then trotting two strides standing two strides sitting, even more difficult. Four other people in the lesson, all much better than me, so when it came to jumping I said I wouldn't - I was scared. But RI said I'd be ok - guaranteed she wouldn't jump huge or stop for a wee in front of the jump -
so I had a go. The jump went up from six inches all the way to about 2 ft and I jumped it every time, although my knees were shaking.
So, progress: courage, yes, definitely getting my confidence back. Muscles, a long way to go, still I wasn't stiff afterwards, so that has to be progress.
Hope I'm not boring people with these stories. I'm so pleased to be riding again, but it must seem a bit tame to all you horse-owners and competitors out there. Maybe there ought to be a separate forum for riding-school riders?
:rolleyes: :D
Linda
Second lesson they gave me a huge black (dark brown really) carthorse with a Roman nose. I'd seen someone else ride her in my first lesson, and she went around with her mouth open, ears back, rolling eyes - scarey! This time, the chap who'd ridden her had my nice chestnut mare, and he looked a hundred times better on her, so I expect I looked a hundred times worse on scarey Molly - who isn't actually scarey at all, just a bit lazy and very bouncy...
She stopped three times for a wee - stopped dead, no warning, always in the same place, and didn't produce anything until the third go, that's a bit disconcerting. Then I had trouble getting her to canter - RI said to use my stick, but I knew it was my fault, my instructor always says sit tall, shorten your reins and think canter, so I did that, looked to the outside, and it worked. Good horse.
Lots of work over trot poles, standing in stirrups (very difficult for those with no muscles), then trotting two strides standing two strides sitting, even more difficult. Four other people in the lesson, all much better than me, so when it came to jumping I said I wouldn't - I was scared. But RI said I'd be ok - guaranteed she wouldn't jump huge or stop for a wee in front of the jump -
so I had a go. The jump went up from six inches all the way to about 2 ft and I jumped it every time, although my knees were shaking.
So, progress: courage, yes, definitely getting my confidence back. Muscles, a long way to go, still I wasn't stiff afterwards, so that has to be progress.
Hope I'm not boring people with these stories. I'm so pleased to be riding again, but it must seem a bit tame to all you horse-owners and competitors out there. Maybe there ought to be a separate forum for riding-school riders?
:rolleyes: :D
Linda