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This past week, I didn't ride Chief during my lesson. Instead, I rode a horse named Jake.
Jake's owner had a lesson directly preceding mine, so I think it helps my instructor out from doing parts of our lessons at the same time. It also gave me more riding time, because Jake was already saddled up when I arrived.
However, Jake does English-style, which means that when I ride him, I'm doing English-style.
I really prefer Western style so far. I like being able to hold on to the pommel of the saddle when I want. I like the way one holds the reins Western-style than English-style. I feel much more in control.
Chief and I had been working on turning and stopping, trying to get me better precision.
With Jake, I worked on posting, which involves getting him to trot & then having me try to stand up in the stirrups every time his "outside" front leg hits the ground. So...basically rapid bouncing up & down. I really didn't like this, lol. When Jake is trotting, I feel like I have absolutely no control & I'm about to fall off, because there's nothing to hold on to. I can grasp part of his mane, but that doesn't really make me feel secure.
For whatever reason, I had much better rhythm going clockwise than counter-clockwise.
Later in the lesson, Jake spooked. Unlike Chief's spook, which feels like he just misses a step, Jake pinned his ears down & streaked after another horse who was in the arena. I shouted & almost fell off. Actually, I was positive I was going to fall off, but luckily I didn't!
The other women in the room (my instructor, another student of hers who has much more experience & who owns Jake, & a woman who boards her horses there & was riding them around) were very supportive, praising me for holding on & not falling off, & also bringing Jake to a halt.
STILL, it was pretty scary. I'll be excited to ride Chief again.
Currently, my dream is to someday ride outside. We need to wait for it stay lighter further into the evening before that happens. When I was leaving, a women who boards horses (whose name I can't remember & mentally refer to as "Glory's owner") & my instructor were talking about night rides. Glory's owner said that at the previous place she boarded, the owner-dude took her on a night ride. Glory's owner said she couldn't see her hand in front of her face, so the point is to trust your horse & just let them take you through the woods.
This sounds frightening, but in previous lessons my instructor had been having me take my hands off the reins & close my eyes while letting Chief walk wherever he wanted. This was to help me get a better idea of how Chief moves & to relax in the saddle. I think it'd be scarier to be holding on to the reins, but still unable to see anything, & having the horse be walking on uneven terrain next to branches/etc. ;_;
ANYWAY, this increased my esteem for the other riders, lol.
Jake's owner had a lesson directly preceding mine, so I think it helps my instructor out from doing parts of our lessons at the same time. It also gave me more riding time, because Jake was already saddled up when I arrived.
However, Jake does English-style, which means that when I ride him, I'm doing English-style.
I really prefer Western style so far. I like being able to hold on to the pommel of the saddle when I want. I like the way one holds the reins Western-style than English-style. I feel much more in control.
Chief and I had been working on turning and stopping, trying to get me better precision.
With Jake, I worked on posting, which involves getting him to trot & then having me try to stand up in the stirrups every time his "outside" front leg hits the ground. So...basically rapid bouncing up & down. I really didn't like this, lol. When Jake is trotting, I feel like I have absolutely no control & I'm about to fall off, because there's nothing to hold on to. I can grasp part of his mane, but that doesn't really make me feel secure.
For whatever reason, I had much better rhythm going clockwise than counter-clockwise.
Later in the lesson, Jake spooked. Unlike Chief's spook, which feels like he just misses a step, Jake pinned his ears down & streaked after another horse who was in the arena. I shouted & almost fell off. Actually, I was positive I was going to fall off, but luckily I didn't!
The other women in the room (my instructor, another student of hers who has much more experience & who owns Jake, & a woman who boards her horses there & was riding them around) were very supportive, praising me for holding on & not falling off, & also bringing Jake to a halt.
STILL, it was pretty scary. I'll be excited to ride Chief again.
Currently, my dream is to someday ride outside. We need to wait for it stay lighter further into the evening before that happens. When I was leaving, a women who boards horses (whose name I can't remember & mentally refer to as "Glory's owner") & my instructor were talking about night rides. Glory's owner said that at the previous place she boarded, the owner-dude took her on a night ride. Glory's owner said she couldn't see her hand in front of her face, so the point is to trust your horse & just let them take you through the woods.
This sounds frightening, but in previous lessons my instructor had been having me take my hands off the reins & close my eyes while letting Chief walk wherever he wanted. This was to help me get a better idea of how Chief moves & to relax in the saddle. I think it'd be scarier to be holding on to the reins, but still unable to see anything, & having the horse be walking on uneven terrain next to branches/etc. ;_;
ANYWAY, this increased my esteem for the other riders, lol.
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* My 2nd stepmother had a horse that she boarded fairly close to my dad's house. Her whole family was involved in horses. I'm still angry at myself for never asking her to teach me, but also remain disappointed that she never asked if i wanted to learn. I thought it'd be a nice way to spend more time with her (i liked her a lot! i've liked ALL of my dad's wives, LOL) and get to know her better. But then she wised up and left my dad. Oh well. :(
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Want me to write about being on a horse while it's pooping?!
I wish your stepmother had asked you, too!!
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I got to go riding outside once last year, in a group with five or six other students, and as much as I was afraid of every moving thing that wasn't one of us, it was a nice experience. Kinda like riding in general, imho: scary and yet so exhilarating.