welcome. and ::le sigh::

My girl and her favorite lesson pony

Hello and welcome!  I'm Holly, the mom.  She's Erin, my now-ten-year old daughter.  And yep, Horse Fever.  Big time, for us both.  LOL  I'll do a proper welcome and introduction, I suppose, but well, long & short of it is that this is going to be a chattering-run at the mouth type of blog, with me talking about my daughter's exploits as she explores the horse world and finds herself within it.  Yep, I'll also be chattering about my own horse-life as both the mom of a horse-less horse-girl, and a horse-less horse person myself.  Horseless being key here at this point.  Eventually, we'll remedy that.  But for now it'll be about our interactions within the horse world as non-owners.  But before a more intro post, I've got some stuff to work through, and I tend to do that best when rambling....so yeah.  What a way to start, eh?

Because who doesn't love the between the ears shots?

Anyway, I cancelled my riding lesson for tonight. Because, mostly, I'm a head-case of a rider.  And coming to realize that is a big thing.  Typically, I ride about once a week at this point.  Sure, eventually it'll be more.  But riding once a week is what I can do at this point, so I do it.  It's better than not riding at all.  Believe me.  8-year hiatus.  Killed me.  But riding only one a week leaves my head open for introspection and overthinking on my rides.  While I ride.  Not a good thing, necessarily.  Recently, my rides haven't really been my best rides.  I think, out of the past 7 rides, one has been satisfactory.  In my mind.

I'm sure you know how it goes, that bad ride.  You feel "off" the moment you step into the stirrup.  And your "off" continues your whole ride.  Your legs don't feel solid.  Oh, my, that's a might big twist in my shoulders.  Straighten out. Lower leg, stop swinging.  How'd these reins get so long?  Gather 'em up.  Horse, why are you so long and strung out?  Come back to me, please.  Posting, ughhh, why can't I handle it?  Oh.  Yeah.  Out. Of. Shape.  Sit up sit up sit up.  Need a more forward trot, please, let's go.  No.  Wait.  That's too much.  What is going on with my foot?  Why is it shoved home in the stirrup?  Canter transition?  Okay.  But stop with that big ole counter bend.  Just no.  All the no possible.  Oh wait, wheeee!  Careening around the ring!!  No.  Not really fun.  Oh, wait, where'd that person & horse come from?  Oh crap.  That sort of thing.  You know.  It's enough to want to make you take a break and just watch your daughter ride!  (ha.)

So that's exactly what I did.  I took a break for a week.  And maybe I'll schedule a private, so that I still ride this week.  But next week, regardless, I'll be back up and in the saddle.  Because the lure of the good rides are so very much worth it.  Despite being so much of an in-my-head rider, examining every single second of my ride and finding it lacking.  So much lack.  And soon, hopefully, I'll ride more than just once a week.

Because that makes a huge difference too.

As does getting into better riding shape. Which I will certainly do.

(and hey, now I have another blog topic...heh.  How does an out-of-shape part time equestrian mom get back into riding shape...ha.)