2/3 there!

Beautifully erratic day yesterday. Pouring rain in the AM, cloudy in the mid afternoon, then clear and chilly later when I went to the lesson. By the time I got up on Lightening I had to shed everything over my t-shirt to be comfortable.

I was afraid I’d forget everything, but didn’t! I feel like I am learning fast, and Paula is kind enough to agree that I learn faster than some. Heels down, weight on the inside foot, sit straight, grip with calves. My big revelation was in “steering.” I’d gotten the idea that to turn the horse right (for instance) I’d use the inside rein to turn, but nope, it is the outside one.

And we trotted! Horses have four speeds: walk, trot, canter and gallop. I’m a bit afraid of everything about riding (but with rapidly growing confidence!) and I went fast the first time (couple lessons ago) by accident. I instantly proved that I knew how to stop, without any lessons, and did it right. My sweet instructor—at that time she said, “Well, good, I see you’ve got the kicking part down! Let’s go a bit easier now.” Well, yesterday I got to do it intentionally and discovered I was not frightened at all! Really fun too.

Balance is sometimes an issue. When I am lunging (?) the horse—holding a long strap clipped to the bridle to get the horse to go in circles—I get really dizzy. I’ve always felt a tad dizzy anyway, and some of my meds have a tendency to increase that a bit. I’m not actually sure what I was doing when I lost my balance and tumbled from the horse again. Managed to get my foot over and landed on my back, again. Not hurt too much. And full of gratitude that the arena is sand! En español, la palabra por “sand” es arena.

Paula told me, “Some people you haven’t learned to ride until you’ve fallen three times.” So I guess I am now officially 2/3 of the way done.