Riding in the Rain

It's ironic that I had the last post on collection prepared before I went to my Wednesday night lesson because then for the first time ever, we actually worked on collection - to a certain degree.  There were four poles set up in the arena in a circle and we were using the poles to do transitions.  We would trot up to the pole and then do a downward transition to walk over the pole.  The trick was to walk for the least amount of time possible and to make sure that the horse didn't fall on the forehand and simply lunge forward.  Then when all four feet were over the pole, we had to pick up a trot immediately and go towards the next pole.

I was kinda proud of myself, not to toot my own horn, but I was doing pretty darn good.  I was riding Harvey who I've never ridden before, and although he was definitely trying to fall on the forehand, I was really getting him to use his hind end.  I think it would be a great exercise for Walker and I to try once he is back in work.

Other than that, Harvey was a bit of a brat.  He was ridden in the lesson before me and would literally not move forward.  I mean, I had spurs on and was kicking the bejesus out of him, and he just stood there.  When it's not your horse, you really only want to kick so hard with spurs on because the last thing on earth you want to do is cause an injury!  So my instructor had to go get me a crop, which was definitely more effective.

That being said, I'm not the most graceful person with a crop.  It's too much going on, and I'm usually plenty strong in the leg that I don't need it for Walker.  Since he was ridden in the lesson before mine, I just hopped on him in whatever tack he was already wearing.  That meant I was riding in a not-so-comfortable saddle, which was slippery leather, and in the meantime, I'm trying to find the happy medium of spurs and no spurs.  My legs were all over the place, and my butt would just not stay still.  Then, we add the crop and I looked like a pinwheel on the back of a horse.

All in the middle of a rainstorm, of course.  Because when we arrived, our instructor said, "I don't care if it's raining!  As long as it's not a hurricane, we're going to ride in this outdoor arena until it's December!"  So we did.  And I trotted around, wind whipping the rain into my face with one eye closed, drenched to the bone, and lovin' every minute of it. :)