Another Lesson and Pictures and *hopefully* Videos to Come!

You are probably all getting very tired of my riding lesson posts, huh?

Well, I wanna get all of the great ones written down so that one day I can go back and read them and smile as I sit inside my house and look out at all the great dressage horses in my barn. *lol*
I can dream can't I?

This Monday my mom and dad came to stand for an hour and watch me ride. The Karen and Anna R (some of the kids from youth group know who the R's are) and they brought their two horses, Buttons and Kurant. Buttons is actually a bay little pony, but her sire was a Clydesdale and so she looks like one more than anything else. Kurant is a breed that I can't remember off the top of my head right now, but she is also bay - though a very different kind - and she is lovely.

The R's parked across the road at Hopie's old house (some of you also know Hopie) and walked their horses across the road and into the indoor arena. Meanwhile, I tacked Whitney and mom and dad visited with the horses until I was finished. Then we walked to the arena too where Anna and Karen had already mounted their horses and where warming them up a bit while Mrs.Love lunged Whit. I waited for her to be done and then mounted Whit and we set off at a walk around the arena for a circle. When we came back around, a few blankets fell and made a little racket. Whitney - actually all of the horses - spooked a little and Whit started off at a trot so I figured I'd just let her at it and get it out of her system since it was a good pace anyway.


We trotted for a little while and then Mrs.Love had me get up in two point. Soon, all of the riders and horses where in a row, trotting around in circles and then she had us coming on the center line and half-halting. After we trotted a little more we where all to try a leg yield. A leg yield is when you have the horse just where you want them and their outside shoulder is on the rail and their rump in pointing out toward the center of the arena while still traveling forward. It is a pretty cool feeling, really.


So when I was done on Whit, Anna mounted her and I hopped onto Buttons. Anna cantered and trotted in turns and I mostly trotted Buttons. Her paces are so short that you have to post at lightning speed; or at least you feel like it. Later, everyone began urging me to try cantering Buttons. I did. To my surprise - it was fun! Except for the fact that I was constantly hitting myself on the pommel (anyone who knows what the pommel will probably groan with empathy)
it was great! Anna's saddle is a general purpose saddle which is not favored among those who were riding on Monday. *lol*


Anyway, we had a lot of fun and mom and daddy enjoyed it. Needless to say, I am sore in numerous places, but that is the price you must pay for fun. *hehe* I happen to have some vids and pics of Monday but I have to wait to post them until later tonight cuz they are on Daddy's phone.


-Hanna


P.S. - I'm gonna shock Mrs.Love on Monday and ask her if I can try cantering on the right lead this Monday and try leg yields at the trot on Whitney. She has been trying for two weeks now to get me to canter on my own. *lol*