It’s been 2 days now of serious ridding for me and Jezebel. Lots of rising trot and many, many circles. The Barn has been very quiet in the afternoons and I’ve been taking advantage of it and getting down to actual work. Jezebel is doing amazingly well for a horse that has had limited time under saddle. She’s listening to me, trying to understand what I’m asking of her and keeping her cool though she is not foot sure all the time and trips a little more then I would like. I couldn’t really ask for more then that from her. She wants to work and shes a much happier horse right now im sure because were working.
As for me? I need some work. I’m not exactly balanced in my saddle. Some of that is my horse is still getting her balance, some of that is totally on me. It seems taking years off of riding means I now can no longer feel when I’m on the correct diagonal or not. Which infuriates me! I haven’t had to look down to check since I was 10 years old! I’m also strangely back sore. Not typically the kind saddle sore you would expect after taking time off from ridding but back and hip sore. I’m chalking it up to not being relaxed enough in the saddle and holding my body too tight. Seems I don’t just have to work on getting my horse supple, I have to work on getting me supple too. In any event I’m having so much fun actually riding my horse after all the set backs we’ve had and I’m hoping to keep up a fairly vigorous schedule of ridding to get both me and my pretty, lovely, filly into shape.
I’m still going to be working on her groundwork on the lunge line. We’re only walking and trotting under saddle right now but I am of the mind that lots of ground work can only help. I also start working with a John Lyons Certified horse trainer today on some of our outstanding issues. Like her unease in the wash stall, her dancing around when trying to tack her up and to help me work with her to get her to canter on the line and understand the cue to canter. Though I have a long list of things i’d like to work on I figure those 3 things will be a good start for me, for Jezebel and to see if this new trainer and I are a good fit. He works with a few other women at my barn and was recommended by my awesome farrier, so let the games begin!