I am inured to my own stink, so when I noticed that something particularly pungent was wafting in and out of my notice, on the way home after Saturday's lesson... I naturally assumed, okay, that yes: I reek. This was little something extra. What happened was: It was really cold yesterday. Cold enough that I …
Seeing Is Not Believing
We've occasionally had video cameras in lessons, with mixed results. I've got some footage of me and Reb doing some jumping, from a few years ago. The fences are so small as to be almost non-existent, and we were both clearly bored. There is also some of Delilah and I slogging around the lower arena, …
Experience + Confidence = Not Falling on Yer Arse
When I started to write the above yesterday, I thought it was going to read: Experience + [Something] = Confidence. I suppose there's more than one way to formulate an equation. Equating would not have been my strong suit, back in my schooldays. I am fairly certain that I am the maths version of illiterate, …
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Just Riding
Rebel has been off, and you know something, I missed the little bugger. He had been off quite a while last year with suspensory ligament damage; at the time, I had yanked my medial ligament all out of shape and was semi-limping around with a support bandage on my knee. We had the same injury! …
Two by Two
Hey, anyone doubting the transformative effects of 11.11.11, check this out: I totally manifested the lesson I wanted on Saturday. We were idly warming up in open order — or I was, idly; I really shouldn't speak for all my lesson mates. There is something wonderful, though, about these Saturdays, and the way we all …
Everything Connects
I can feel the arch of my foot getting back to normal. Normal-ish. As I got up on Connell last night, I remembered how I couldn't get myself up there because of The Injury. I still get little twinges, little pulls that tell me that the network of tendons and ligaments and muscle, and whatever, …
Itchy and Scratchy
Hey, this is weird: About two months ago — months — I received my first kick. Tango was in the lesson, and Connell and I were behind him. Tango is much the same, stopping when he wants, backing up at will, making a chaos of things. So there we were, going around on the left …
‘I Am Not Falling Off This !@&ing Horse!’
Okay, the thing is, since the injury, which was last year, I have been falling off. Also okay, I'd like to blame it all on that, but sure, I can't. Not really. But let's say that the injury has loomed large in my mind, effecting the way I ride. Okay, that makes sense. Anyway: A …
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One Good Turn
Sometimes you only get one, but one can be enough. Basically, Connell is of full of energy; some of it of the piss-and-vinegar variety, some of the woo hooooo let's play sort, and I'm okay with both. Mainly. When he takes of in a gallop because he wants to GET BACK TO THE END OF …
Independence Day
IN DECEMBER So I got on Connell and he balked. I asked again, more firmly, for him to walk on, and he shook his big butt. Oh, no you don't, thought I. 'Oh, no you don't,' I said. 'Dude,' I said, and his near ear twitched back towards me. 'I have been riding Rebel for …
MANY BRAVE FOOLS 