The Return to Riding Report Card, week 5

[lagilman]

Today we rode outside, which is nice (fresh air! new surroundings! natural lighting!) and a little unnerving at first (strange noises! suspicious smells! spring flippets!). Back in college we had to deal with yahoos wo thought it was funny to hit their airhorns when they drove past the stables -- no such troubles here, but it took me a few gos around the ring to really relax.

Adding to the not-relaxing part was that I was on a new mount today - CD. A total gentleman, is CD, but after the long strides of Sancho and Snaps, his 'pony-hop' gait took some getting used to. C. doesn't give me instructions on each horse, but allows [requires] me to figure it out by myself. Good training, but a little frustrating at first, since I'm trying to get my own body in gear, too, and there's only so much multitasking I can do without dropping something.

(that's why I keep getting switched around, in case you were wondering. I need to learn to work my body, not adjust to a specific horse's tendencies and quirks.)

After about ten minutes and a lot of fumbling (okay, I think I was fumbling, C said I was doing fine) I figured out that I had to sit even further back on my tailbone with CD than the others, and not allow his pony-hop to rock me forward. Once I got that, my tendency to close my shoulders more than usual* went away, and I felt much more comfortable.

It also took me that ten minutes to figure out that CD would go easily on the far side of the ring, but when we came around to the home stretch he just wanted to kick back and take it easy. C., of course, kept asking me to bring him forward more, just at that spot, so I was having to work against his natural tendencies without losing all the other muscle-stuff I was trying to achieve.

Multitasking, yes. Have long way to go on that. But it had the advantage of forcing me to work both on my cornering and my relax-and-ask at the same time (more multitasking!). The former shows marked improvement. The latter... is a work in progress. Oh well.

In retrospect, I was happy with a few things, and not-happy with more things, which I guess means that I'm past the 'welcome back' stage and onto the 'relearning shit' stage. And me, being such a mellow, patient learner (you may laugh now) will doubtless not push myself at all....


*I started the lesson with a backache, so I suspect that added to the 'closed shoulder' thing that kept happening. Tonight, the heating pad!

Comments

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Is CD really short from end to end? Pook has a huge stride, but because he's so compact, I can get pitched forward quite easily. I have to ride him with a very open torso, as well, and allow for the fact that there is much less margin for error than I have with the others. I think of the SRS riders, that kind of very balanced and open upper body. (Come to think of it, they're not particularly small men riding very compact horses, so....)

Riding lots of horses is great for the learning process. I wish more riders had that opportunity.

[lagilman]

Hrm. *thinks* I remember noting that his hindquarters were awfully close to his ribcage, if that makes sense...

(hey, am in market for new half-chaps. got any recommendations?)

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Sounds like Pook. Shorter-backed horses have less margin for error.

What kind of half-chaps do you like? Softer suede, like gaiters? Air-flow for coolness? Boot-zoid leather ones that make you look as if you're wearing tall boots?

Ariat has a wide range of sizes and types. I have the Terrain mesh ones that go over the Terrain boots, and also fit over the paddock shoes. Dublin makes a knockoff for half the price. I had the Classics II until the zippers broke, would get them again, probably will when the mesh ones die. Tredstep has some nice suede ones with a close fit. doversaddlery.com and statelinetack.com both have good ranges and prices.

[lagilman]

What kind of half-chaps do you like?

Ones that will do the job and not break my budget, for now. The ones I find myself drawn to are the rougher-looking suede, and I think I have a preference for velcro straps rather than zippers, but am not fanatical about it.

(and despite all that, I liked these, actually)

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Dublin makes a good product. I like zippers from the top down, easier to get on and off. Velcro doesn't do as well over time--gets crappy and stops working.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

I thought chaps were for the thighs. Those look suspiciously like boots to this ignorant person.

[lagilman]

Chaps run from hips to heels. Half-chaps enclose the lower leg, going over boots (or, in my case, riding jeans).

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

Oooh. I was imagining you in the cowby chaps they show in Westerns, and it was sending me into fits of giggling.

[lagilman]

Really? Why? *is honestly puzzled* Despite the cowboy fringe, Western-style chaps are serious working chaps -- they're there to protect your legs. I've never had cause to wear them, but if I were spending all day in the saddle, riding through rough country, they'd come in handy....

(unless you're referring to Rodeo-style chaps, which I agree can get a little.... um, decorative)

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

Perhaps because with the exception of working cowboys, everyone that has referred to chaps was referring to fringe western-style chaps, with nothing else. ;-)

[lagilman]

Ah. Those aren't chaps, those are chafes.

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

How much collected work has Pook been in? I know there's quite a bit of forward extension achieved under proper collection.


Riding lots of horses is great for the learning process. I wish more riders had that opportunity.

I do too. 'Specially the wanna-be trainers. "I've been riding (the same horse) for years!"

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

He's just really started collected work--since late last year, and only really got into it a couple of months ago.

He has a power trot with killer extension when he wants to. Boy has warp thrusters. It's part of his problem, in a good way for the long run, but in the short run, makes for training challenges.

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I imagine once you and he have mastered collection...then you half-halt into walk-trot or trot-canter... let me know how the Earth looks from the Moon 'kay! :P

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Pretty cool actually. All blue and white.

(Capria launched us a few times in her younger years.)

[lagilman]

forgot to mention, btw, that I saw C riding her horse today, before my lesson. He's a Selle Français -- I'd never seen one before. Sort of doofus-y looking in repose, but amazing going over the jumps....

Off topic

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

Lots of your Retrievers books in Forbidden Planet in London yesterday and not tucked away, either.

Re: Off topic

[lagilman]

Good to know, thanks.

(previously, FP had not stocked Luna books because we were "of Harlequin." I suspect Catie's success has changed their minds on that)

Re: Off topic

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

I did find SD in there some years ago - not sure if this was prior to Catie or not).