Now what?
I just got back from my first massage that wasn't from the students at the college. I went to a... clinic? Centre? Practice? What the hell do you call them, anyway? I went to one recommended to me by my chiropractor. It was awesome. I spent a full hour being thoroughly abused. I specifically asked for deep tissue massage, and this guy fucking delivered. I feel so incredible right now, but I know I'll want to kill him tomorrow. Resuming naproxen to ward off the upcoming inflammation. Might as well use it since I have it, right?
But anyway, my reason for writing today is my fucking horse dilemma. Looks like I'll have Champ for at least another month anyway, as Lightning's recovery is - according to me mom - good but slow. She went back to wrapping and furacin and did another poultice, as the bone exposure spot still hasn't quite sealed over yet.
The problem is that I'm torn. I desperately want to bring Lightning out here and start riding him again. But fuck. I've had two jumping lessons on Champ thus far, and my instructor wants me to show him already. She thinks he's the cat's ass and once he's settled into his jumping style and got more experience under his belt he'll have a lot more jump that I think he will. Yesterday we did 2-stride combinations, working on putting in 2, then getting 2. Champ extends off my leg so readily that she thinks he'll be killer in jump-offs (and she hasn't even seen his rollback yet!). She laughed as she was raising the fences and said "I want to just keep putting them up and up!"
We only did 2'6 yesterday, focusing more on technique than height. I'm still very much stuck in my old eventing habits - I want to slip the reins any time we get into trouble. But Champ isn't an old campaigner, he needs my support, and it's show jumping, not XC. And he's so sensitive in his mouth that I'm terrified of bumping his mouth and hurting him. My instructor insisted that I hold onto my reins and stop worrying about it. She said I have lovely soft hands and can't be afraid to allow for a more solid connection.
She actually did make me feel really good about my riding, something that I'm still not overly confident about, especially when someone's watching me (see, Teresa? I hate being watched too, even if I don't show it!). Most of her Tuesday lessons were on the flat, and I didn't really want to pay money for a flat lesson when I was focusing on his jumping. So I asked her if were were doing flat on Thursday and she looks as me cockeyed and says "you want to?"
I said not particularly. She said that I did well enough on my own that she didn't think I needed flat lessons and that we'd be wasting our time. now that felt good! I mean, I know that I need some solid dressage lessons, but that's not what she does anyway. In yesterday's lesson she also said that I have good control of my body and that she could tell I've done a lot of jumping. That I'm my own worst enemy by trying to change my riding to accommodate or help Champ, when the biggest help would just be to ride like I should.
So I'm having a blast with these lessons, something I won't be able to do with Lightning. There's also the matter of a saddle that my friend is selling, one that fits me great. I jumped in it yesterday and the difference a good-fitting saddle makes is incredible. Teresa's gonna see on Sunday if it fits Champ well enough to buy it, if I can even afford it!
And there's no point in buying this saddle if I'm not keeping Champ. So it's coming down to the wire: do I leave Lightning at Home longer and keep Champ? I'm not gonna lie - the idea of getting back into the show ring again has me lit up. But... Lightning. It's Lightning.
But anyway, my reason for writing today is my fucking horse dilemma. Looks like I'll have Champ for at least another month anyway, as Lightning's recovery is - according to me mom - good but slow. She went back to wrapping and furacin and did another poultice, as the bone exposure spot still hasn't quite sealed over yet.
The problem is that I'm torn. I desperately want to bring Lightning out here and start riding him again. But fuck. I've had two jumping lessons on Champ thus far, and my instructor wants me to show him already. She thinks he's the cat's ass and once he's settled into his jumping style and got more experience under his belt he'll have a lot more jump that I think he will. Yesterday we did 2-stride combinations, working on putting in 2, then getting 2. Champ extends off my leg so readily that she thinks he'll be killer in jump-offs (and she hasn't even seen his rollback yet!). She laughed as she was raising the fences and said "I want to just keep putting them up and up!"
We only did 2'6 yesterday, focusing more on technique than height. I'm still very much stuck in my old eventing habits - I want to slip the reins any time we get into trouble. But Champ isn't an old campaigner, he needs my support, and it's show jumping, not XC. And he's so sensitive in his mouth that I'm terrified of bumping his mouth and hurting him. My instructor insisted that I hold onto my reins and stop worrying about it. She said I have lovely soft hands and can't be afraid to allow for a more solid connection.
She actually did make me feel really good about my riding, something that I'm still not overly confident about, especially when someone's watching me (see, Teresa? I hate being watched too, even if I don't show it!). Most of her Tuesday lessons were on the flat, and I didn't really want to pay money for a flat lesson when I was focusing on his jumping. So I asked her if were were doing flat on Thursday and she looks as me cockeyed and says "you want to?"
I said not particularly. She said that I did well enough on my own that she didn't think I needed flat lessons and that we'd be wasting our time. now that felt good! I mean, I know that I need some solid dressage lessons, but that's not what she does anyway. In yesterday's lesson she also said that I have good control of my body and that she could tell I've done a lot of jumping. That I'm my own worst enemy by trying to change my riding to accommodate or help Champ, when the biggest help would just be to ride like I should.
So I'm having a blast with these lessons, something I won't be able to do with Lightning. There's also the matter of a saddle that my friend is selling, one that fits me great. I jumped in it yesterday and the difference a good-fitting saddle makes is incredible. Teresa's gonna see on Sunday if it fits Champ well enough to buy it, if I can even afford it!
And there's no point in buying this saddle if I'm not keeping Champ. So it's coming down to the wire: do I leave Lightning at Home longer and keep Champ? I'm not gonna lie - the idea of getting back into the show ring again has me lit up. But... Lightning. It's Lightning.