Monday's lesson actually came with nice weather! Having been away from the barn for the weekend, I was unsure who I was riding with in my lesson, so I grabbed Lainey just in case. I really wanted to ride Ginger, but I also really didn't want to hold up/worry the girl I was riding with.
So Lainey it was. She's been feeling much better lately, a lot less heavy and 'pushy'. We spent part of the lesson working on extensions, since she's much better about not trying to run through my hand, and the second part of the lesson on getting a nicer canter. Very difficult for her, but it's getting there and much improved as her fitness has improved. You know it's still a bit of a fail when Mr G, says "Wow, you guys look really good, she looks like one of the racehorses at the track!" Thanks...I guess? In related news, I am still working on sitting back and not tipping forward as we go. It's difficult because Lainey more or less invites you to do so by trying to drop her head and take off on the forehand at every opportunity. The pretend nose blowing snort and head dive is her last ditch effort when you've foiled everything else- and after 4 years it still catches me out on occasion. Overall, though we've both improved dramatically this summer and I feel more than ready to tackle some jumping clinics and cross country schools this winter. Some really good news is there is a girl taking jumping lessons on her 2x a week who is quite a fabulous rider, so Lainey is getting some extra rides and experience, and I'm getting a little extra money towards board as well. You can't beat that! I love how excellent trainer girl is at matching horses up with appropriate riders...its a win win for the riders and the horses. Of course it is a little too good to be true as the girl riding her owns a pretty amazing jumper that she'll be going back to once she is sound again. Can I hope that her horse heals 100% but it takes a little while? ;)
Next lessons Saturday...Lainey group jumping lesson, then Ginger private dressage lesson. Looking forward to it!
As for the weekend with Mr G, it was super nice. I can't wait to have a 'normal' life with him again this winter. I've been missing the ocean and our house too. I need to finalize the trailer ride for the horses, but have the boarding sorted. It's not ideal, but is super close to a club facility I have use of. We're incredibly lucky that a very long time ago, someone donated 40 acres of land to the local horse club. Since then, through tons of hard work and fundraising, a whole facility has been built, complete with indoor/outdoor arenas, a round pen, show stabling, a clubhouse, and even a mini cross country course. We all chip in to keep it maintained, so membership costs are ridiculously cheap. Its also right next door to a farmers market and a really good trail system. The horses will live a block or two up the road, where all we really need is a safe paddock/shelter and good feed/water.
The financial logistics of taking 6 months off? Could be improved on if we want to buy a bigger property any day soon. The market has finally crashed which is a double edged sword - we can buy for so much cheaper, but we don't want to sell any of our existing real estate to finance it. And me being the commitment phobe hates the thought of mortgages and being tied to my job to pay for it for however many years it will take for the market to pick up. We've got a few options on the table, but at this point I'm happy to hold steady and wait. 6.5 weeks now until I'm back 'home'.
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