Want You And Me To Work Things Out
I. Et Tu Larkus?
Lark was a good boy today, which made me much relieved, since apparently Hillary rode him wonderfully the other day.
[Speaking of which, I actually met Hillary today - she's quite nice. She was there to pick up the beautiful, brand new Crosby girth from the tack room that I've been drooling over for days now.]
My rule with Lark is to do a lot of transitions all over the place, just to make him more responsive. He's such a brute when he wants to be, and I really hate having to pull him out of his shut-down mode, because I tend to feel abusive.
I'm going to be jumping Lark tomorrow and - possibly - hacking Nona, since Ivy's noticed my insane interest in that horse. I think she'd be fun, honestly, but it's nothing I know already. I want to try out that horse, but, more than that, I want to do a good job in doing it. If Nona's there tomorrow, I'll see if I've really put two and two together and made four or if I've put two and two together and made fish.
II. A Time To Live
I've resigned myself to Spree in my head now, and I think it's settling into me nicely. I've planned out my summer as follows:
Morning: (8:00 - Noon) Work at Winters End
Afternoon: (12:15 - 3:30) Work at Tiara Farm
Late Afternoon: (3:30 - 7:00) Work for Rides on Spree
I know from expirience that Spree is a horse you need to work with constantly until you understand him. He's not a horse you get on once a week and ride to perfection - he just isn't. In this, he might be the most challenging horse I've ridden so far, technique-wise. I can't force him around, I can't make him beautiful, I have to plead with him, ask him and pray that he conscents until I understand how he works.
So I'm resigning myself to him with all the world's fears of failure on my shoulders, but, you know, if Mel could ride him and she's 1/3rd my size (I'm exaggerating, mind you), why am I letting my mentality hold me back? I am, honestly, my biggest enemy and worst critic sometimes, and it's time to let go of that. I'm a big girl now, growing out of Juniors; it's time to step it up a notch.
Lark was a good boy today, which made me much relieved, since apparently Hillary rode him wonderfully the other day.
[Speaking of which, I actually met Hillary today - she's quite nice. She was there to pick up the beautiful, brand new Crosby girth from the tack room that I've been drooling over for days now.]
My rule with Lark is to do a lot of transitions all over the place, just to make him more responsive. He's such a brute when he wants to be, and I really hate having to pull him out of his shut-down mode, because I tend to feel abusive.
I'm going to be jumping Lark tomorrow and - possibly - hacking Nona, since Ivy's noticed my insane interest in that horse. I think she'd be fun, honestly, but it's nothing I know already. I want to try out that horse, but, more than that, I want to do a good job in doing it. If Nona's there tomorrow, I'll see if I've really put two and two together and made four or if I've put two and two together and made fish.
II. A Time To Live
I've resigned myself to Spree in my head now, and I think it's settling into me nicely. I've planned out my summer as follows:
Morning: (8:00 - Noon) Work at Winters End
Afternoon: (12:15 - 3:30) Work at Tiara Farm
Late Afternoon: (3:30 - 7:00) Work for Rides on Spree
I know from expirience that Spree is a horse you need to work with constantly until you understand him. He's not a horse you get on once a week and ride to perfection - he just isn't. In this, he might be the most challenging horse I've ridden so far, technique-wise. I can't force him around, I can't make him beautiful, I have to plead with him, ask him and pray that he conscents until I understand how he works.
So I'm resigning myself to him with all the world's fears of failure on my shoulders, but, you know, if Mel could ride him and she's 1/3rd my size (I'm exaggerating, mind you), why am I letting my mentality hold me back? I am, honestly, my biggest enemy and worst critic sometimes, and it's time to let go of that. I'm a big girl now, growing out of Juniors; it's time to step it up a notch.