Sunday Stills~ Looking Up

This Sunday Stills challenge was to take pictures from low place looking up.

Riding Lesson # 8: MUCH better day!

Thanks so much for the encouragement. I am all about being positive, but sometimes we all get a reality check right? I guess mine just bounced yesterday. It happens to all of us doesn't it?
Today was a better day. I went out and asked Sensei for another lesson this week, not something I can really afford to do very often but I needed a boost and I wanted to know we were moving in the right direction.
I wanted to have him help with some issues with Corrie, he has never seen me ride Corrie. She, of course, was on her best behavior. I was almost begging her to do some of the behaviors that we have been struggling with, not that we were perfect and Sensei found some key points we need to work on, well I have to work on. Which I honestly think is a positive reflection on the bond we are forming and improvements we are making. Both of us are getting in better shape. I still feel a bit uncoordinated and so does Corrie at times.

I mean looks at her, she is a bit of a hippo right now. lol

I really have a lot of you to thank. Your blogs have encouraged me and opened my mind to new ideas. You guys have shown me all the fun riding is which was really motivation to get back at it, I have lived vicariously though so many of your blogs. Not to mention all the positive and encouraging comments. Thanks guys!

Driving Lesson #11: Uggg

Well that was a big ol' sucked!

I am not remembering the way I should.

I feel frustrated that my skills are not where they should be, but it has been years since I seriously rode. And although I am new to driving I shouldn't be sucking this bad.

But really I had a hard time driving Corrie at a walk up a hill and in a straight line. What the hell is wrong with me?

This is not one of my positive days, obviously.

I am just feeling lonely, depressed, and clueless.

Sorry this is a sucky post.

* * * *
Edited after Breathe's comment:

I am sorry for the negative post.

It was really frustrating to walk up the hill over and over and Corrie would veer to the barn as soon as I lost my focus for a moment. She would start to trot and I guess my left hand is stronger than my right so I would inadvertently pull with that hand too hard, which was bad because she wanted to go to the left ( toward the barn) anyway. Well we would go up the hill, half way would be great, I had my focus on where we were going. Then the wind would blow my hair in my face. I'd focus on that for just a second and Corrie would veer to the left. Then I would focus so hard on her not trotting that she would veer again, then as I corrected her she's trot. Arg. Or a dog would trot by and she would want to trot. Or she I'm sure you get the idea.

It ended up being one of those things that I became hyper focused on and would try to micromanage and well that never works, then she looked drunk.

Well with personal issues and what not, I just felt overwhelmed and stressed. But tomorrow after work I am going to go out and ride again and have a great deal of success on this matter, only I will be riding.

Weight Loss Wednesday: Exercise or OMG I hurt!

I am not a person who really loves to exercise. Am like that last cartoon, it takes me forever to get up and do it. When I logged on to my Wii Fit Plus a few days it go, it said: It has been 105 days since your last visit. Oops.

I find motivation but often it is fleeting. Whoop there it goes.
I like to feel the breeze as it flies by.

Yet, I really love the feeling I get after I exercise, such a high. Although while I am exercises I am counting the minutes until I am done, sometimes yelling and swearing too. Above the tv, where I do the Wii for exercise I have 3 mantras:
Exercise gives me more energy and less fat.
My metabolism is red hot and increases with each minute of exercise.
I am a healthy, fit, and energetic woman!

Corny, but they help. I can not pick up a book lately that does not suggest having positive self talk. These corny mantras give me that little boost to keep going.

Wii Fit Plus is a favorite right now. I like the boxing, step, and rhythm games the best. As I am doing the step for 20 min to a tv show and I really want to quit I repeat my mantras. Wii is really helpful for this exercise. It counts down the time while I watch Monk or Bones.

Yet between the Wii and riding everyday I discovered that today, I am really REALLY sore! I know I shouldn't over do it even though I am having so much fun but, it sort of crept up on me. I was not even planning on riding today because I thought Corrie would be soaked (it rained), but I went out to ground drive Abby, to my surprise Corrie was in. So I ground drove Abby for about 40 min. I thought, well as long as Corrie is in and I'll just be driving tomorrow, I'll ride her now.

Well we had a hell of a ride. She was being a right cow, and I know that I am not helping her to get it. I am starting to get the to the point that my body is remembering how to do things too, so I am trying use myself more correctly as I teach her. She even tried to take off. Okay she trotted off when another horses was being lead out, but hell the last time a horse (Abby) tried to trot off with me I fell off and broke my wrist so this was a big improvement! But still the ride in general sucked. Although as we all know a bad day in the saddle is better than a great day any where else so I am not complaining.

So Sensei (formally known as R, trust me Sensei really fits him) asks me how the ride went and I told him. His suggestion, "Oh we'll work on that tomorrow in your lesson ." I have taken enough lessons over the years to know that any lesson following the phrase" "We'll work on that," is not going to be an easy one. So if you don't hear from me in a few days it is only because I can't use my arms or legs!

Review: Of ME!

I just can not believe that I can just ride a horse with no fear, well, only a little fear. I mean it is in an arena and I still have issues but it is a long way from sitting in front of the tv playing a game video about riding. I think back to months ago: the fall, the recovery, getting back on a horse, taking lessons, driving, riding, it seems like such a long way. I never really thought I would actually be comfortable on a horse again. So now that it is June, it just seems like a good time to look back and see how my goals for this year are going.

Goals for 2010:
1) Start riding my own horse.
*well if Corrie is to by my horse then I can check this one off, but maybe I should wait until she is actually mine.
2) Ride my own horse walk/ trot/ canter.
*walk and trot are solid and I think I am going to wait for winter for the canter. I really am trying to get outside.
3) Start working with Kinsey on Training level dressage work.
*sadly this one will never be met, but if exchange Corrie for Kinsey, I am on my way.
4) Take a few lessons from a dressage trainer.
*gee when I wrote this I don't think that I even was thinking about taking driving lessons. I would still like to have a dressage trainer out sometime before the end of the year but I am really learning a lot from R. I am even thinking of putting "dressage" on hold and think more about "just" riding.
5) Lose at least 4 lbs. a month. That is really low. I am actually hoping for 8lbs. 4 lbs a month and I will be half way through my weight loss by the end of the year, 8lbs and I will be done.
*I have really sucked on this one, sucked big time actually but that is why I am going back and looking at my goals, to remind myself of what I wanted to do this year.

I am adding a #6. I really want to go on at least one trail ride this year. At the time I said that I really had no idea how that was going to come about, but now I think it is actually possible. Woo Hoo.

As I read these goals they seem so simple yet I remember writing them and thinking that no way was I really going to be able to meet them. Now it actually does seem possible.

Sunday Stills~ Eye

Eyes~ the windows to the soul.

Zoe:
Cheyenne:
April:Remmy:
Corrie:

See more beautiful souls at Sunday Stills

Inavertant Learning

Whenever you are with your horse you are training. Oh yeah, how many times have we read or been told that. It makes sense, I am sure that we all agree with that statement.

But what are we training our horses to do?

Well I realized the other day that I have taught my horses something I never intended to.

Okay let me explain. I have a dry lot that my horses are in for the night and at least half the day, none of them needs that much grass. Then I open the gate and they run off to the pasture to gorge themselves on grass, roll and run. In the evening I take a little stroll out to the pasture and herd them back up. Often they see me coming and just run off to the dry lot. They know the drill. I don't normally turn them out until I have worked them or I work them after they have had fun in the sun. I'm too lazy I guess.

Abby is at R's where he has a very similar, although much nicer, set up. So I went out to get her the other day. She would not be caught but instead allowed herself to be herded up to the dry lot area and I caught her with ease. I thought it was a bit odd. I had not made the connection yet, but the next day when we went through the same routine it dawned on me. Oh My Gosh, I just taught my horse not to be caught in the pasture.

It is just a matter of routine, I never gave it much thought. Arg.