Yes, Teddy is still besotted by the recently born calf but has calmed down about it a lot. I don't think it's an issue for him anymore. His leg seems completely healed and he is in need of some attention so I will be back riding him after work on Friday and put my latest lesson into practice.I had a lesson on Dick yesterday and in the process I must have strained the old gluteus maximus as it's causing me some pain, particularly when getting in and out of my chair. I think this is a result of working outside the arena yesterday.
I arrived at my lesson while Kim was working one of her horses. While walking to the arena I had the overwhelming urge to just go and ride - no lesson, just explore the property and venture out on a leisurely horsey adventure. I put this to Kim as she was working her green mare but she felt that the mare wasn't ready for such an outing but suggested that we could have a lesson with a difference.
We started off in another arena to the usual and Dick was a lot more forward moving in these surroundings. I hadn't ridden in over a week due to Teddy's injury and it felt like I had never been on Dick before! Dick has a lot more speed in him then he lets on! Also, that morning I was in such a rush to get to work and had my mind on a meeting I was having that I hadn't packed my jodhpurs or anything so I was doing my lesson in my work clothes. Luckily I wore my riding boots to work!
Anyway, after a while we went out into the front paddock which had a number of natural obstacles like tall grass, ditches, uneven surfaces etc and I was learning to improve my balance out of the seat out there. Just at a trot it was a whole new world of balance due to every few steps being a different surface. I concentrated on riding through ditches out of the saddle. I think that all the moving about made me pull a muscle of something. It was a great lesson though because it is definitely something I can replicate at home.
I will spend the next week working this through with Teddy. Although I feel stable and comfortable in the saddle and don't have an issue with any of this, the fact that I don't always balance correctly really annoys me. I really want to get this right and I know when I get it right but cant do it consistently as yet. I have to learn to keep the inside of my calves in contact with the horse at all times while rising out of the saddle without using my knees or thighs or moving forward. I know my problem is my feet so I really have to concentrate on this. The slightest move forward and I'm out of alignment; having my toes pointing down and I'm messes everything up etc. Damn annoying!
I will also read Sally Swift's Centred Riding to see if this can flip the switch for me so I get this the way I want it. I've been doing this now for two months (seems longer doesn't it?!) so I am happy with my progress in some sense, but I expect more of myself.
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