Moving Forward

Since I got a dose of reality and learned so much about life as a whole, I decided there was no other decision to be made but to move forward. Moving forward meant that I had to pull myself together and realize that there would be many ups and just as many downs. Training a horse isn't easy, but it needs to be fun. Looking at the big picture vs. the small picture is how this blog got started. I wanted to be able to record progress, look back, and smile.

After the clinic, I decided to get back into a routine. I had to ride with goals and intentions of working on a particular problem before I could move on to the next task. With meeting new goals, I had to try new things so we didn't both get bored. I started to work in new areas around the farm, and to try our some jumping on our own. Spyder is so willing to please, you can point him at an obstacle, and he doesn't flinch. He trusts that the rider on his back is pointing him towards something worth a try, and he tries harder than I could have ever imagined. July, after the clinic, August, and most of September was dedicated to progressing and pushing forward. Realizing that going back was OK, and accepting that helped us so much.

Crossing a bridge

Dom came out again at the end of September, and we began working on bending into corners while pushing into the bit. I knew I'd have some homework after feeling my legs burn. In October, I worked with my trainer in the field by the barn and the dressage ring some to work on getting into the bit and bending some more. We really needed some help with steering, and the bending and pushing seemed to be helping quite a bit. I felt like we were getting somewhere, and most definitely when I got to see the pictures Dom took in September. It was more than just teaching my horse how to go and bend and push into the bit. It was me sitting up straight, posting up, and helping out his balance and movement.I had no idea that my position made all the difference!

My slump



The lift