Riding - Lesson #3

Another nice lesson. It's a shame that they're half over, too.

I got to ride Libby again, and we did well until the end of the lesson, when she got a little cranky. Possibly tired & hot (it was 92 today), possibly she didn't care for the gelding we were next to - she kept pinning her ears back at him. She also kept swatting me with her tail (a lot of the horses are kept in tail bags most of the time, and it's a pretty heavy swat). Different saddle, though, and while the stirrups may have been right, the seat was hard and did wonky things to whatever tendon that is on the inside of the thigh.

There were only four of us today, so we all rode in the indoor arena. We did some trotting, which I ended up doing with both hands on the reins, since I can't steer, post (in a stock saddle), and breathe at the same time. Yet. Got compliments on my posting, amazingly enough, and the other instructor asked if I'd thought about cantering her. Anyway, I ride with what feels like a weird Western/English hodgepodge, and I'm wondering if I wasn't in Libby's face too much, which made her cranky. Couldn't get the half-halt idea down, so our brakes weren't too good. When I started using both hands to rein is about the time she got a little ratty. But she has a nice trot, and was motivated today. I wonder how they slow her down for the western pleasure classes? :)

It's going to be hotter Monday, so we'll see how it goes. I need to ask about other places to take lessons, although fitting it into the schedule would be nasty. Just rearranging things these two weeks is wearing DH and I out.