confidence builder, fuller fillies, legrete, plus sized rider, Rubenesque Rider, sponsored -

Where's my Jack pony?

 

Where is my Jack-pony..who took him????

Well I don’t know who I was riding on Sunday at my riding club rally, but it sure as hell wasn’t Jack!!!! He certainly looked like Jack, and came out of my paddock, but nope, wasn’t him!!

My goodness, the horse I was riding, or trying to ride, was a piece of work. This horse, let’s call him “Butthead”, was an absolute monster.

Thankfully, the instructor for this rally was my usual instructor, it was such a comfort - super glad I booked her!!  

Butthead wasn’t at all calm or attentive, instead he was boorish, had no concept at all of manners, wouldn’t listen, had no idea of any work I’d previously done and loved the feeling of having his back feet around his ears...to be honest, he worried me.

But he taught me so much 

I learnt that I can keep calm.

I can apply the concepts that we had previously worked on.

I discovered that I can also really ask for a response and get one.

I understood, at long last, how important it is to have a soft, supple horse.

I learnt that I have a really sticky bum!! Some might call it good balance, but I think it was more the sticky bum

I learnt that sometimes the horse you get out of the float, isn’t the horse you are going to ride...somewhere in between horses are swapped.

I learnt that I can breathe, even though my jaw is clenched shut so tight, I wake up the next morning with an ache.

I learnt that I can actually be quiet during a lesson...never thought I could do that...I’m a chatterer!!!

I learnt that sometimes taking the horse out for a 2 hour trail ride in the pouring rain the day prior doesn’t actually mean a nice quiet horse will appear the next day.

I also learnt probably the most important lesson of all, and that is to never doubt not only what I’ve learnt over the years, but also my own abilities. I got through that hour, and even though I was at times incredibly unsure of what I was capable of, and also what my horse was capable of, I did it...I finished that lesson with a canter on both reins.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t get off pretty quickly at the end of the lesson, I was off like a shot, but I didn’t bail half way through, and that is a massive win for me.

Funnily enough, as soon as Butthead was rugged and popped into a yard, Jack suddenly appeared...like magic (bloody Black Magic!!!!)

 

So after Sunday’s event, I was a little hesitant to climb aboard on Tuesday. I know they all say that you must ride the horse that comes out of the paddock on the day, but that is sometimes a little easier said than done. There is always a little bit of trepidation.  But I’m super glad I did “suck it up” and get on...what a dream horse!! It was a massive relief to get back on the horse I know, although there were some things I didn’t recognise this time, but they were very pleasant surprises...he was perfect from the start.

Geez he’s a superstar!!


Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published