Nearside!

The snow had mostly melted, and I was willing to risk the roads and the laneway, and get to my Saturday lesson.

I had this thought, all the way up, on the bus, that today might be the day that I try to mount from the left again.

See, I was a little worried about the wall, and Delilah at the wall, and if it was slippy up at the yard. I thought I might try the block, and I might try to get up from the nearside. I was certain that my medial ligament couldn’t take the pressure of getting up there on the offside.

But I really would prefer to use the wall.

But if it was slippy, then I would have to mount indoors, and then I would have to go up on the offside.

I really hoped it wasn’t slippy.

And on and on, over and over, until I arrived. The yard was fine, and I wouldn’t have to use the block.

I got Delilah and went to wait by the wall, hoping to get one of my lesson mates to hold her before they went to get their own mounts. We stood there, waiting, my mind at ease, and Delilah was mostly behaving, except when she made faces at passing ponies, which was just par for the course.

And then I was told to take Connell.

Hmmm! Connell is a small black cob, and I’ve seen him in lessons, and been in lessons with him. He can be a bit stroppy, likes to see what he can get away with, and has a habit of striking off on the wrong leg in canter.

I collected him from his previous rider and brought him round to the block. I didn’t want to wreck his head by taking him outside and then taking him back in again, so… so I grabbed the block, and got up there.

I got up there! On the left side! He is exactly the correct height for me to have managed it! It wasn’t entirely effortless: there was a bit of a scrinch in the Achilles, but otherwise, not a bother on me.

It was as natural and effortless as though I hadn’t been unable to do it for almost six months. Happy days!