So I guess I can ride now…
Holy crap, six months since my last entry!
I missed documenting most of my increasing improvement concerning
trotting! Easily covered: it got easier and I got better. I learned (surprise
surprise!) that doing things right makes it easier! :D I’m not perfect of
course, just better. But in truth, I have been getting stronger and a bit more
limber. I still can’t ride with my feet straight, but I can’t stand or even lie
down that way either, since that long-ago surgery only improved my feet and
structure by “only” 95%. Perfection is not in the works. So I spend most of the
lesson trotting now.
I am still entranced by riding, and am still getting better,
and still enjoying it more and more. It feels like being magical or something.
Two session ago I switched horses. I love sweet Lightning,
but Paula decided for whatever reason to put me on Toby. He is the horse that
Suzanne called “the crazy one.” Paula said she’d taught him quite a bit and
thought I could handle it too. Cool!
Toby is about half a hand taller, and about 200 lbs heavier.
That 2” difference is a lot when this old creaky guy tries to mount. I have been riding with shorter stirrups than I’d started with and it’s much better, but
even getting my left foot into the stirrup to mount Toby is difficult. So I start
with it long, mount, and then Paula shortens it. I could use a mounting block,
but those things are treacherous! No kidding, either. Suzanne really hurt herself
using it.
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THE CANTER
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sites/animals/ponies.php |
So I saddled Toby up
(at least that’s not a chore anymore!) and on the way to the arena Paula said, “And
Lightning is a pony, and Toby’s a horse, so you will see the difference between
them too.” I thought she was kidding, but no. He seems frisker or something.
The first thing I always do is practice a few “transitions,”
which means going from stop to walk to trot to walk to trot and so on. I
kicked him into a trot and thought, “Well, that is faster but it doesn’t feel
like a trot,” so I kicked and told him to “Trot boy, come on,” and then we picked
up speed and I thought, “Well that doesn’t feel right either,” and when we slowed
Paula told me to stop. She was laughing
“You can tell Suzanne you cantered today,” she said. See,
Toby’s trot is different from Lightning’s (imagine! :D) , and I just hadn’t
recognized it, so went faster. Ha ha. We finished the lesson with me learning
how to work with Toby.
So the next week Paula says, “I think we can start cantering
today if you wish.” Cool! I’m on it! We do a few transitions and then go on to
canter, slow to trot, canter again…
Well, remember when I said I’m not perfect? Well one of the
difficulties I have is to keep my weight on the inside stirrup when turning. It’s
not natural, because it feels like my weight is going outward and it’s just
natural to brace on that side.
Well, while cantering I felt myself tilting too far! I stopped Toby (good
move!) but was unable to regain my balance. But I was still holding on with my
calves, tilting over, slowly, more, over oh so slowly until at last I put my
right hand onto the ground, let go my legs and tumbled onto the sand. All is
slow motion. Hell, I even pulled the saddle around Toby’s body so it was
sideways on him. It wasn’t loose either.
So I guess I have learned to ride! :D
Well, we will try again tomorrow. And I plan to spend the
whole session practicing weight on the
inside stirrup!
