SORT OF So, Rebel was ridic last week — yes, yes, I know, I know, yes, I took him again, last Tuesday, and he was absolutely fine for 85% of the lesson. We were building up to this awesome thing, a series of jumps, one at E, then up and around to one at X, …
Matter Over Mind
Thanks to whoever read this today. I was fairly certain that I'd had a headline like the one above, and am glad to know that I'm not, precisely, repeating myself. But thank you, dear reader, you saved me having to check. Woke up on Monday and it sounded like it was lashing rain. The light …
Seeing A Man About A Horse
NOT FOR ME! NOT YET! But I will — I will! — be undergoing this process sometime, so when Sharon asked me to accompany her to Kilkenny to check out a chestnut mare, I was not going to say no. I haven't been on a road trip in a while, and as corny as it …
Heart to the Sky
Well, I ride Morris really well in the walk. The trot... we're working on it. I'm not sure why, but it's almost like I get on a horse I don't know very well, and forget everything. I don't know what that is. But when exhorted to rise from my hips rather than my legs — …
Oh, By the Way
You couldn't move around here for being faced with announcements about the imminence of my debut novel, Drama Queen. Er, well, I've got a second book coming out, uh, on Thursday. The Fidelity Project is suffering from 'second child' syndrome, in which, after the fluttering and fear-of-dropping, and pinning nappies backwards of the first one, …
Personal Growth Opportunity
Tuesday was blowy. Like, gale force winds that seemed to take as their focus the indoor arena. Sure, we're up in the mountains, but there had been no indication in town that the air was in any way assuming hurricane proportions. When the door of the taxi just about blew off upon my exit at …
Rollercoaster! Woo Ooo Ooo Oo!
I stood, somewhat grimly, at the doors of the arena. It was Saturday, and I didn't know what my answer would be to the question: 'Who do you want?' I had ridden Rebel on the previous Thursday. We hadn't had a lesson on Tuesday, due to Paddy's Day, and after having felt so successful on …
Rollercoaster. Of Love.
It's the Monday after my rodeo show with Rebel. I'm still annoyed and unhappy, and now I'm heading off to ride the Big Horse with No Bit. I woke, and considered bailing. How much more battering could my shaky confidence take? After the last time, I wasn't so sure that I had the ability to …
Adjustments
Yeah, afraid of getting cocky. My ability to stay 'sat' last Saturday started out with luck, and ended through the grace of muscle memory and the sheer repetition of having been told to Sit back! for two and a half years. I could feel a difference, though, in my body. When I got down after …
Enough is Enough
I haven't written about the last few Saturdays because they have been so utterly bad, I had a lot of processing to do. Living up to his name is nothing new, but Rebel has exceeded himself lately. I take responsibility for not being able to manage him, but there's a fine line between my inability …
MANY BRAVE FOOLS 