Friday, April 20, 2012

I haven't updated in way too long!

So much for my plan to write regularly, lol.


Things are going wonderfully for me right now! I've just switched barns/trainers and sent Logan for training at a barn about an hour away from me. He's being ridden by my new trainers daughter, a very talented girl who just aged out of the juniors this year. She really, really likes my guy and is excited to work with him!


Riding with Barb (my trainer) is wonderful. I've gotten lost of saddle time on different horses/ponies at the barn that Logan is at, and I took one lesson with her at her other barn on a horse named Paco, who was her daughter Ashley's 3'6" horse. He's easily one of the most adjustable horses I've ever ridden and he was tons of fun! 


Between the lesson with Barb and Ashley schooling me over fences, I've only ridden with them a total of six times and the two of them, my grandma, and I have all noticed MAJOR improvements in my riding. Both of them think I have quite a bit of potential as a rider, and have said I have the overall picture of an eq. rider, but just have a few things to work on such as using my ring better, thinking/acting ahead more, centering my seat a tad more, bettering my eye so I can get better spots on unfamiliar horses, not second-guessing myself at the last minute, and working on my hands/elbows. Because of riding Logan for so long who's happy to be either long and low or in a frame the entire ride, I developed a tendency to float my reins on him. Because of that, I started riding with "piano hands" and sticking my elbows out slightly. Working on keeping a constant feel of the horses mouth and riding them into the bit has helped with this. :)


I'm going to my first show with them next weekend! We're doing Chagrin in Ohio. Ashley's taking Logan in some of the green classes (at least the flats) and schooling him over fences, and I'm catch riding one of their sale horses in either the eq. or the jumpers (or both)!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Long live all the mountains we moved, I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you.

A woman came to look at one of my ponies, Molly yesterday, and the lease contract was signed. She leaves some time in mid-May.
I suppose I should start by saying now how happy I am that she's going to be a part of such a great program, where she'll be loved by all different kinds of kids and get to teach them what she taught me. 
It's really so bittersweet. This pony has been such a huge part of my life for so long, to the point where I know not having her in it is never going to feel right. But at the same time, I know that she'll always be mine unless the perfect situation comes along and I do decide to sell her. 
All I know is that I've had some of the best and worst experiences in my life with this pony, but in the end, I got what I had always wanted: the confidence in myself and in my riding to do what everyone else said I couldn't. I will never forget everything this pony has done for me, and I'm certain she'll have the same effect on other people in her life.


Here's to finally letting go of the things from my past I've outgrown to make room for a bigger and better future.




"I need your grace to remind me to find my own."