In the Zone

My riding takes a back seat to everything else. Which is normal for moms, I think. Family comes first. Riding is my therapy.
I had to take time off in February because it rained...a lot...and the barn where I board doesn't have an indoor arena. It does have a beautiful outdoor arena but I don't ride in the rain if I can help it.  Then came March with spring break. We went on a wonderful Disney cruise around the Caribbean. The day we get back in town, my sister in law comes to stay with us for two weeks.
So I finally get out to the barn and my horse has gone lame.  Poor guy had an abscess in his hoof...from all that rain...I had planned to ride in a horse show the weekend he went lame, so quick find a horse for Charlotte.  I tried out the new schooling horse, Tilly but I was unsure that we were a good fit. She has a lovely collected canter but her jump was different from Silver. I wasn't getting it.  The next horse was Elijah. My husband really likes riding this horse. He can sit is canter. And I'll be danged if I can't sit that less than smooth, uncollected canter.  But after a couple of weeks of riding him, I was starting to have problems over fences with him. So I got to ride Gypsy. I have been a little skeptical of Gypsy because the first time I rode her, she ran off with me.  I have fallen for this mare. She is wonderful and got me to enjoy jumping again. Really enjoy jumping.

After my 6 week hiatus from riding, I was a bit intimidated about riding a full course. Even though I had been jumping at 2 feet in the fall.  I could ride one maybe two jumps at a time with some trepidation.  I was blessed to be in a group lesson with two more experienced riders. My trainer set up a grid. It scared me but I enjoyed watching Amy and Michaela jump the grid.  Kelsey offered the grid or a line of two jumps.  I decided to feel my fear and do it anyway. I was assured that all I had to do was set Gypsy up and she would easily do the rest.  And she did!  I just stayed balanced and she jumped them all.  So I did it again that lesson.

 And I did it again another lesson, another grid...I figured  I could jump 5 jumps at one time, or 5 jumps in a course, just get it over with. And the more I jumped the grid, the better I got and the more I relaxed. And then suddenly I could do courses without freaking out.

And then Silver got better and we started having fun. True he kicked his heels up after some grid work and he crop hopped after a jump but he was happy with himself! And I stayed on! And I was happy with myself. And we did some flying lead changes, he hops a bit and I feel like he's bucking but I'm starting to get used to it.  Now that I know he's not trying to buck me off, I'm good with it and I tell him I'm happy about it, instead of slowing him down we keep going forward.

Flying Emergency Dismounts among other things

I had a minor riding setback this summer, when the horse I was riding, spooked and I had to make an emergency flying dismount.  It was the best canter I had ever had while riding Silver, when suddenly the horse in front of us spooked. Suddenly I saw my feet in front of my face.  Feet should decidedly not be in front of your face when riding, so I knew it was time for a flying dismount... I landed with a thud on my back in the wet arena sand and immediately thought, "I am way too old for this crap!"  I managed to get onto my hands and knees and sorta crawl away from the horses but it took me what seemed like an eternity to actually stand up. I had to "climb" the arena fence until I could straighten up. Then it took another 20 minutes until I was able to get on Silver.
I watched the rest of my class enjoy "pony camp" and then I trotted a couple of laps around the arena, cantered over a low fence and I was done. My back was killing me!

To shorten the story, I purchased Silver in August but didn't ride him for several weeks until I felt like I could ride without pain or actually get on him without pain.  So I decided to curtail jumping, mainly because I didn't feel like I could actually canter until the sciatic pain stopped.  My trainer and I worked on dressage, suppling the horse, bending, half halts, sitting trot and posting trot. I went to a horse show over the weekend and had just started cantering the previous Tuesday. It had been over two months since I had jumped anything!

While I was recuperating from my mishap, I designed some new jewelry for my Etsy shop, vowangems

Blue Green Aquamarines on hand forged sterling silver ear wires

Copper Rutilated Quartz and Carnelian Rosary Chain Dangle Earrings

Garnet and Fire Opal Sterling Silver Dangle Earrings

Titanium Blue Drusy, Garnets and Bali Gold Vermeil Dangle Earrings 

and one of my favorite necklaces: 

Silver Drusy Tassel Necklace