New Trainer

Last week was a quick visit to Ella, because my mom didn't feel well and I was really tired. We just went in the evening, so we could meet Ella's new trainer. Her other trainer just moved to Indiana on Saturday :-(. The new girl seems nice and seems to get along with Ella, so that's good.

When the trainers were talking, I realized that they've been using really thin western snaffles on her—maybe that's one reason she objected to me bitting her—I was using a dressage, french-link full-cheek—so quite a bit thicker. I'm going to stop and get her a thinner bit and remove the noseband. It will be quite a look, but oh, well—pride has long gone out the window.

The new trainer is going to come out wednesday, so we can watch her ride. I'm looking forward to seeing Ella, but I have to admit, the whole leaning over her and then my mom walking her away from the mounting block while I was on the block, did a number on my fear of heights and really backed me off of wanting to get on her. That "dry run" might not have been such a good idea...

No Go

All dressed up and nowhere to go!

Well, it was a no go. When my dad put the saddle on Ella's back, I realized that there were no attached stirrups, and I have no idea where they are. So we just saddled her and I got up on the mounting block and figured out how I would get on. Why, oh why didn't we get a nice short horse??? It looked like a million miles off the ground! Just the height of the mounting block almost did me in! My mom moved Ella away from the mounting block when I was still standing up there with my dad and I completely freaked and started crying. It all sounded really good when I hadn't seen how far from the ground it looked, just leaning over her back!

Just a Really Quick Post

Nothing major to say—I'm just really excited about tomorrow. I'm so glad we've worked on the ground with Ella so much—I would definitely recommend doing so to anyone who wants to relearn riding. We're going to use my dressage saddle (with a grab strap!), because I figure that if you are going to go to all the trouble of relearning riding, you might as well take the opportunity to start correctly. Cognitively I know how to ride, so this will be a chance to get the physical part of riding on the same page as the acquired knowledge of what's correct. Of course, it probably doesn't matter for just sitting up there. In a depressing way, it is an amazing chance to start over with none of the bad habits and all of the knowledge. Wow—two months ago I wasn't even sure that I wanted to ride again. This is why lots of just routine grooming and leading is essential. The key to that, is always have a person whose sole job is to keep you upright...

Hello

This is my new blog where I can obsess about riding/horses without boring anyone who's not obsessed themself...

This is a spinoff from my blog Two Brush Strokes, which chronicles my recovery and life post stroke. The quick version of my history is this: I've been riding hunter/jumper, dressage, and just for pleasure since I was eight. About ten years I became focused on training and starting horses in anticipation of having my own baby someday. Four years ago my dream came true—my mom purchased a Hanoverian yearling that I got to work with. She was the kind of horse that would be too expensive once started, to ever be a reality. Just over a year ago I was going to start her—I'd worked on ground manners, long lining, working in a bit and saddle, etc. About the same time, I lost my dream. I suffered from a stroke of the pons and midbrain (brainstem), that almost killed me and left me completely paralyzed—unable to speak, swallow, or breathe independently. I was not quite 30. No, it's been a year, a month, and a week, I've relearned speech, swallowing (eating), and walking (with assistance).

About a month ago we (my parents and I) decided to try working with our horse to get me comfortable with horses again. I've worked with either Gabreala (Ella) or Harley (Ella's trainer's horse) every Wednesday. I've brushed, bathed, walked, lunged, and free lunged Ella. All with assistance of course—I have major balance issues and poor reaction time. This week, if she is calm, I am going to try sitting on her, while a couple of people hold her. Why does she have to be such a tall horse? All of a sudden a short, fat, slow horse sounds wonderful...

I guess I should add—I was working on my NARHA trainer certification when this happened, so I'm pretty familiar with therapeutic riding, as are most of my friends.