This morning when I woke up, I felt awful.  I thought briefly of calling M and telling her I wasn't coming, but if I did that every time I didn't feel up to snuff, I'd never do anything!  I pulled on my layers of clothes and resolved to tough it out.

Which turned out to be not a bad decision.  Show season must be approaching, because D had the jog cart out.  He warmed Blondie up, mostly to make sure she remembered what to do, and then turned the wheel over to me.  I must say that sitting in the buggy behind the horse gives the world a whole new perspective.

The last time I tried to drive Blondie, I over bent her, pulling her into the turns instead of guiding her.  Since I better understand the mechanics of the bridle, I didn't have that problem today.  Instead, I had basically the same difficulties that I experience when I'm riding her.  Her head kept cocking to the left, and I couldn't keep her straight.

Sitting in the cart is a little scary, especially at a brisk trot.  My legs are so short that they get bounced off of the foot rests, and I thought I was going to fall off.  Since I didn't have my helmet on, this would not have been a good thing.  By the end of the lesson, I learned that if I leaned back and braced my left leg against the side bar, I had a more secure seat.

There are a few unpleasantries to driving.  The first is the horse kicks dirt into your face.  While this wasn't so bad inside, I hate to think what it would be like in a muddy arena.  Second is that you are right in the line of fire when the horse breaks wind or feels the urge to poop.  Yup, you get a really nice view, not to mention whiff, of the horse's digestive system at work.

After we put Blondie away, I started getting Woody ready.  D was going to warm him up, and then have me take him for a spin in the cart.  When I was trying to brush the stupid horse's head, he went berserk and broke one of the cross-ties.  I was fearful for a minute that he was going to break both of them and go bolting out of the stall.  He can be a real nut case.

The driving lessons were just what I needed today.  They weren't too strenuous, but it was still very challenging to try to keep the horse straight and not run into the walls (which I did to Blondie at the beginning - sorry!).  I couldn't get either one collected, but after D climbed back on the cart and showed me what I was doing wrong, I think I better understand how to use the bit.  I held my arms too far into front of me, and I wasn't keeping enough contact on the reins. 

I went to the doctor's yesterday to see if he could do something about my allergies.  They have been terrible for about 3 weeks now.  I only decided to go because I happened to remember that my DS was in the car, along with an unopened copy of FFIII.  I hate waiting in the office if I don't have something to do.

The doctor's office was packed.  I think everyone is making a last ditch effort to feel better for New Year's.  After waiting for about 40 minutes (and becoming engrossing in the stupid game!), the doctor appeared.  I asked him for some decongestants or something to help my allergies.  After looking in my ears, checking my throat, and listening to me breathe, he said it wasn't my allergies.  I have another sinus infection! Argh!!  The only bright spot - generic antibiotics are free at Meijers!!  They had to do something to compete with Wal Mart.

Today, despite feeling like pu, I headed off to barn and my lesson with D.  As I predicted, Blondie is back to her old, disagreeable self.  I got her ready, and we headed for the arena.

It's always interesting to ride with D.  He's always doing something to get the horses aired up, and make sure you're paying attention.  If he's not shaking the bag whip, he's tossing smoke bombs around the arena.  Today was no exception.

Since I got after Blondie the other day, she was pretty much on her best behavior today. She did get funny in one corner, when we were just working the straight aways, but a crack from the whip with my new found skill of riding while holding the reins in one hand, and D cracking the buggy whip, got her going again. 

We worked on trotting, and then cantering.  She picked up the canter right away, but I over bent her the first time and she fell out of it.  I quickly got her going again, and then we worked on walking.  Blondie jigs instead of flat walking, and that is a penalty in a pleasure class. 

D had me walk her into the line up, and then back her 3 steps.   Then he said I did a good job, and we were going to keep the sessions on her short. 

After I put her away, he told me that I could get Wildchild ready and practice on her.  I only worked on trotting and a few patterns, because I was starting to feel like I needed a nap and I didn't want to get her too hot.  She sweats a lot, and I didn't want to spend an hour cooling her off.  I didn't try to canter her: I wanted to end the day on a good note.  The lesson with Blondie went very well, and I didn't want to go home after struggling with Wildchild

I am getting more confident riding Blondie, and I hope I can keep my nerves under control at our first horse show this season!

One funny thing happened before the lesson.  I always head off to the bathroom before I ride, and today was no exception.  I opened the bathroom door, and one of the barn hands was taking a leak!  Dude, lock the door! 

Wednesday night I rode Gio in the group lesson.  When M told me to start getting Blondie ready, I was really excited, until she said that D would be riding her, and I would be riding Gio

The group was very small; lots of people have ditched town for the holidays.  It was just me, Kim, and Maggie for the lesson. M got Gio ready for me, while I brushed Blondie.  Blondie was very cuddly, which made Kim declare that aliens had landed.  I thought maybe it was a full moon.   It was probably just a peppermint afterglow from the 2 5 lb bags of candy that I gave to the horses for Christmas.  Anyway, I'm sure the sweetness won't last long.

Gio was the perfect gentleman, only occasionally needing a firm yank on the bridle to check his speed.  I was a little nervous to canter on him, because of the first time I rode him, when he was like a runaway freight train.  My fears were unfounded, as he rounded up into a neat little ball and cantered around at a very pleasant pace.

I have to admit that I was wrong about Gio.  I used to call him the devil horse, Satan, and demon.  Either he has mellowed in the past year, or I am finally learning how to ride.  Maybe being turning out for the winter, instead of standing in his stall building up energy, has something to do with it, too.  This was the second time I've ridden a world champion Morgan during a lesson, and it's certainly something I can get used to! 

M has been teaching lessons at another barn on Tuesdays, and I decided to schedule one today to check out the place. It's in Fenton, and it's a Saddlebred barn; it has a long dirt aisle, so you can ride up and down it, with a bullpen at one end.  The arena is also long and narrow, the better to get those temperamental steeds racking.

There is a heated office, a real treat in the winter! There's an observation room, and you can ride from the arena through a barn door to the outdoor arena. 

I was actually scheduled to ride two horses today!  The first, Bailey, is a lesson horse they are evaluating for possible purchase.  M asked if she should warm him up first, and I said I would just hop on.  D agreed.  M warned me that Bailey likes to go, and that if I lock on the bridle, he gets hot.  Sounded like Pepper.

Up I swung onto the shaggy beast.  Off he took, with me trying to slow him down.  My first hint of trouble was when he kept spinning out, and then the naughty little piece of sh$t dropped his head, and took off cantering, bucking along the rail.

Bailey is 17, so his bucking button is a little rusty.  I stayed in the saddle, but I lost a stirrup.  M told me to get off, she was going to remind him of his manners.  She got on, grabbed a handful of mane, and tried to re-educate the ignorant old fool.  Bailey wouldn't have any of it, and he kept bucking with her. D told her to get off and put him away;  he wasn't going to be any use today.  It was too bad, as when she did get him trotting along the rail, he looked really cute!  Alas, he is going home tomorrow.

Then I got Summer ready.  I have ridden Summer before, and she's fine as long as you keep your legs out of her sides.  She's sensitive, don't you know.  D warmed her up, and it's a good thing, because she's terrified of one of the walls (the entire 200 feet of it), and she did not behave very well, either.  She's a little more sensible, and there was no outright defiant behavior, so she didn't even get a swat with the riding crop.  When I pointed out that if it had been Blondie, she would had been cracked a few times, he told me that Summer is delicate.  Pleeze!  So is my little girl!

Summer proved to be a challenging ride, as she continued to freak out any time we went down the "scary" rail.  She would bow her body away from the wall and start racking until I could calm her down enough to trot again.  M and D pointed out that I will be ready to rack Blondie now.  Wheee!

Summer is a 10 year old's walk/trot horse, and when I finally got off, I wondered again how Audie, who weighs about 60 pounds, can ride her.  D said she's not usually this bad, and she hasn't been out of her stall in two days with Christmas.  They always do that to me!  Make me ride the nutty, stall bound idiot horses!  M said that I had a good ride, I got Summer looking good on the rail, and I even stuck on Bailey and hauled his head back so he couldn't take off bucking again.  I just wanted to go home and take a nap!!

Since horses don't celebrate the holidays, D & M were planning on working horses today.  They told me to come along.  When I got there, it was just D, as M wanted to stay home and clean the house!  Is she nuts? 

I rode Doc #1 first.  He's a 2 year old Morgan.  When I tried to get on the first time, he jumped away, and D told me not to worry.  He was sort of broke.  Great!

He actually wasn't bad, except that I couldn't get him to canter the first way.  Apparently, it's his bad side, and he has trouble getting the correct lead.  We switched directions, and after asking a few times, he picked up the canter.

D had dropped the stirrups 2 more holes, and it's a lot harder for me to ride with my legs so long.  Trotting wasn't bad, but I kept creeping up to the front of the saddle while cantering.  To show me the difference between long and short stirrups, he raised them about 8 holes (I felt like a jockey), and had me pick up a trot.  I kept popping out of the saddle.  Then he had me canter, and I almost fell off.  If I hadn't turned the horse into the wall and stopped him there, I would have slid off.  It didn't help that the saddle slipped, too!

After putting Doc away, I got Blondie ready.  This was a wild ride.  D started lighting smoke bombs, which Blondie didn't like at all.  At one point, when she spun out on me, he told me to grab the reins in one hand and crack her across the a$$.  Now, I admit I was a little hesitant to do this, because I wasn't sure what Blondie would do, but, gathering my courage, I did as instructed.  All the way down the rail.  And guess what??  She started listening to me after that!

D said that after I got after her, it was the best ride I had ever had on her.  Her ears were up, her head was up, and she was paying attention to me.  She even cantered both directions without too much trouble.   Yea!

Yesterday was another mild day, with a high of 55!  It's been raining for about a week, which is causing chaos with my allergies, but I much prefer this weather to the bitter cold and mounds of snow we usually suffer with in Michigan. 

This lesson was like an early Christmas present!  I was M's last student, and D showed up during my lesson, so I was able to ride three horses!  Wildchild, Blondie, and Woody.   They are determined to get my past this cantering hurdle that I have stumbled across.

I really like Wildchild, and she's really fun to ride.  If only I wasn't quite so terrified cantering her.  Some kids from the previous lesson were hanging around, so M was describing the differences between hunt seat and saddle seat, and she told them that Wildchild is the toughest lesson horse in the barn because all she wants to do is go.  Yup, that about sums it up.

While I was struggling not to fall off Wildchild, D brought Blondie out.  He had five horses to work and he started with my girl.  When I was walking Wildchild out, he told me to hop on Blondie and canter her a few times.  When she does pick up the canter for me, she's a lot easier to sit than Wildchild.  My challenge with Blondie is actually getting her to do it.

She stepped right in the canter when I asked (due in part, no doubt, from D cracking her a$$ when she refused at his request).  She has a nice smooth canter, especially after riding the runaway freight train called Wildchild.

Both of the horses were soaking wet when we took them back to their stalls.  Since I had no plans for the evening, I didn't rush off, and we chatted about the upcoming holidays and whatever else came to mind.  D started getting Woody ready, and I decided to stay and watch him work the horse.

While D was warming Woody up, I brushed the still damp Wildchild, and at M's instruction, but her blanket back on.  It's so warm I doubt that they need them, but with our stupid weather, who knows when we'll have a 50 degree temperate change.

In the arena, M & D were discussing Woody's back end.  He's starting to get arthritis, and they're not sure how much longer he'll be able to compete.   Then D demonstrated how to cue Woody to canter.  He cantered him in circles and figure 8's, and when the horse was dripping with sweat, he told me to hop on him.

Ok, this was another wild ride.  I was able to get the horse to canter, but then I couldn't steer!  He kept going in circles, at one point leaping over the mounting block. Good thing I took that jumping lesson!  Anyway, I asked what the hell was going on, and D told me it was the draw reins.  A lot of people have problems riding with them, because they make the hand cues very strong, and because I'm right handed, I was pulling him to the right.  I think this is also why I couldn't get Blondie to ride the corners.

After watching me struggle to get him to canter correctly, D dropped my stirrups 2 holes.  I am turning my feet out when I ask for the canter, and then gripping with both legs, which makes the horse go faster.  D thinks that with the longer stirrups, I won't grip with my lower leg as much.  He had me trot a pass, to make sure I could still post and of course, the first time I asked, Woody took of in a canter.  After running him into the wall, I asked for the trot again, with a gentler cue, and took off trotting.  It's a lot harder! posting with the longer stirrups.  D said it will take a while to get used to them (I post off my stirrups, and can't with them that far down), but he thinks it will help.

By this time, I was exhausted from all of the adrenaline rushing through my body, so decided it was time to leave.  I had no trouble falling asleep last night!!

Still stinging from my painfully embarrassing lesson on Sunday, I headed over to the barn, wondering what horse M would have me ride.  When I arrived, D was getting Blondie ready for a workout, so I was able to watch her work.  I felt a little better after, as he picked up the wrong canter lead two times in a row.  Even he seemed surprised. 

At the end of the work out, he looped the reins over his head, and had her slow gait around the arena.  He has done this before while cantering her, to show me that reins are unnecessary.  Until I've been riding for 30 years, I'll keep using them. 

I rode Wildchild for the lesson.  Trotting her is no problem, and I even like how responsive she is.  Her canter, though, is another matter.  When I asked for the first canter, I had her tipped correctly, but then M said I let her straighten back out, so she trotted into the canter. 

Wildchild is fast.  They were going to try to use her for a roadster, but because she was kicked by another horse and broke her leg a few years ago, she gets hitchy when she trots fast.  She canters fast, too, and M thinks it will help me get over my hang up about cantering.

At first, we careened out of control around the arena, with me bouncing on that poor horse's back with every stride.  After a few times around, I was able to get her to slow down a little, with M's help.  I have a tenancy to just lock up on the reins, which just makes the horse go faster.  When I started jiggling the bridle to the left, Wildchild started slowing down. 

I feel that the no stirrup lessons are helping make my legs stronger.  I felt a lot more secure in the saddle, with my legs clamped firmly on the horse.  Or maybe she's just skinnier than Harley

The last exercise we worked on was to help rate our speed.  We played follow the leader, trying to keep the same distance from the horse in front while trotting serpentines and circles.  Then we each trotted a small circle, in unison, along the rail.  It was our first drill team exercise, and I wanted to know when we could carry flags. 

Lovely weather for December 16th - it was warm, and the drizzle stopped by noon. 

I rode Blondie first, and all was peachy until D told me to canter.  It's been, what, 6 months since I've asked her to canter, and she, of course, refused.  Today was the most frustrating riding session I've had in a long time.

After grabbing mane, whacking the shit out of her with the crop, and kick, kick, kicking, I realized that the next time I ride her I have to use spurs again.  She spun around on me twice, almost unseating me, and slipped (on what, I don't know), almost dumping me over her head.  Yes, this was a lovely ride!

Then the nightmare continued, with Woody.  I have never had a problem getting him to canter.  Until today, that is.  What an awful lesson!  I think even D was amazed at the utterly crappy way I was riding.  I think I was so psyched out by Blondie I would have had a hard time getting Harley to canter.  I feel thoroughly defeated.

M said that part of the problem might be that I've only been riding the "push button" horses for a while, and I think that she's right.  The horse I really need to ride is Blondie, if I'm going to show her this season.  I need to feel more comfortable riding her. As is was today, I was so flustered by the end of the lesson that I couldn't even get her to walk correctly.

Argh!  I hate horses today!

Friday night lessons have become lunge line lessons, which means lots of no stirrup and no reins work.  Yuck.

This lesson was on Doc, who is turning out to be a dependable lunge line lesson horse.  He has an easy trot, but a rough canter, and because he's rather lazy, he has a habit of just stopping, the silly old guy.

We worked on the usual no stirrup trotting, and then M added a new one; no reins at the canter.  This was really tough, and I'm not sure why, as I don't think I use the reins to balance, especially on Harley.  Then we worked on transitioning from the canter to a posting trot, again with no reins.  I almost fell off the first time, but after a few more attempts, though unsteady, was able to do it.

Abby rode Blondie in a group lesson earlier in the day.  M said they are getting Blondie ready for the academy shows for me.  They decided to have Abby ride her because she's about my size, but she's a more aggressive rider.  She had the same problem getting the horse to canter that I do, but Abby's a better rider (she was 3rd at the Morgan World's), and she has better balance, so she can get after Blondie better than I can. 

Since I'm not working the Tuesday after Christmas (Dean is, poor guy), I booked another lesson.  It should be a nice day to get some things done around the house, run out for the lesson, and then get back home and just laze about.  Probably won't end up to be anything like that...