Bum Rush

I’m really getting this ‘pushing with your seat’ lark.

I had Paul for my last private lesson of 2008, and when you have Paul, you just go until your whole body feels broken, much less your legs, in a good way of course.

We did two fences, one at B and a straight at X, and Reb was working really well, much better than usual for a Thursday morning, and/or I was more awake than usual – whatever, the stars had aligned themselves and we were in good synch.

And we always go better when I’ve got something, like an second fence, to think about.

So, the thing was, we landed after the crosspoles and we got the canter immediately, and I had my eye on the second jump, and I could feel him starting to flag, just that little bit –

And I pushed with my seat, like, consciously, and he didn’t lose pace [er, not much] and we took it, and he didn’t act the maggot and try to swerve in such a way that I would end up in the dirt.

I could have done that all day long. As it was, I missed the 63, which is always a buzz kill, and I certainly didn’t need the 20 minute walk to the 44.

It was worth it. Any time you ask if you can go again, and you’re let, even if you miss the bus, it’s so totally worth it.