I'm a little nervous especially because the clinic is only composed of 6 people. Knowing what I do about the other participants, I will be the most beginner rider there. Plus, I always get the impression that my barn owner thinks I'm a lot more of a beginner than I feel like I am (hey, maybe she's right - she sees riders all the time). I'm afraid of what she might have told him about me. I don't want to be worked like crazy, but I don't want to be patronized either. I do know that she told him that Walker was a talented horse and that I was still "getting up to his level", whatever that's supposed to mean. Walker is talented for sure, but that also means he isn't easy. He doesn't just give up the goods for nothing! I may not have the best form or be the most controlled, but I don't feel like an absolute beginner, that's for sure. I don't know if I think well enough of my riding to call it an intermediate level, but hopefully an advanced beginner for sure. I may be getting back into the swing of things (I had probably 10+ years off of riding after all), but I don't think an absolute beginner could sit through half of Walker's temper tantrums or be starting to jump (at least not at our barn - I know that some barns start jumping earlier). What do you guys consider a beginner/advanced beginner/intermediate rider? I just hate to be patronized. I sometimes feel like people are just patting me on the head and saying, "Oh look at Natalie. Isn't she cute with her pony." I work as hard as everyone else; I'm just never at the barn when people are around to watch me (other than lessons, which, if that's what people are basing their assessments off, would be fair considering our track record).
Other than that, Walker and I had a good ride today again. We rode with another girl in the ring with us for awhile, and I find that when we're in close quarters like that, he gets a little forward. This is fine with me as long as he pays attention. After she left, he threw a mini temper tantrum because he wanted to go with her, but then he was great for me. I even got him cantering at a decent speed, which I find much harder to accomplish in the indoor arena. If only he would do that when I want to jump! I was also proud of him because I got him going fast at a canter and then was able to slow him back down to a semi-slow lope. Some speed control exercises are always good.
On a final note, here's a picture of Walker's poor chipping feet. I feel so bad for him. Let it snow so that the ground will not be so hard! I would put shoes back on him, but my barn owner thinks that his feet will toughen up, especially since he's only had them off for about a month so far. Apparently, the farrier has had that conversation with some of the other boarders at the barn, so I guess I will leave it for now, if that's what he thinks. If they haven't improved by the time it snows/January, I'll put his shoes back on. I'm sure that my barn owner is probably right. We took his back shoes off when I first got him, and they used to chip like this. Now, they aren't chipping at all. I'm just such a sucker.
My farrier told me that I shouldn't pull Hue's shoes unless I wasn't going to be working and even then it would probably be a bad idea because he needs the support and his feet likely wouldn't toughen up because I took them off...
ReplyDeleteIll have to ask him more about this reasoning next week. I forgot what he said.
I believe the theory at our barn is that winters here mean like 3 feet of snow, and since we're in the indoor arena with the super soft footing, it's good to give their feet a break (if they can handle it - some of the horses always need shoes). Since Walker gets turned out consistently and it gets pretty icey, metal shoes on ice can be slippery. I think it has more to do with our winters than it does the horse, but obviously if he can't handle it, then I will just have to put the shoes back on.
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