Wet Coast

January has started off pretty well in my little world. I've got my energy and my desire to ride back, and have been consistent about both fitness and barn time. I'm catching up on a bunch of home and work related projects too. However, in an effort to not crash and burn again, I'm not pushing super hard, even on the days I really want to do all the things. I'm leaving a little blank space in the planner most days, and promising myself I'll use that time out to do something I want to do. I'm also promising I won't feel guilty if my self says it just wants a time out with a good book or Netflix. The other day, it was sunny and I prepped the gardens for spring. Last weekend, I had coffee with a friend and watched another friend's riding lesson. Today I wanted more yoga. When I don't plan ahead, what I want to do on the day varies, and that's good for me :)

I read this magazine last night. Smaller horses for adult riders are the next big thing, apparently.

She looks a lot like the cover horse. Am I trendy for once in my life? :0

I had a very fun Bridget ride today. I am terrible about checking weather forecasts (In my defense, the forecast usually (correctly) predicts some variation of rain 99% of the time during winter.) This morning, however, the weather changed from rain to breezy and rainy, to wind and rain warnings, all while I was in the saddle. If I had read the forecast, I'd have known there was a big front coming in over the Pacific, but I did not, so Bridget and I trudged home as the world blew apart around us and rivers flowed from above (not really, but with all the big trees here sometimes it does feel that way!)

Oops

Cute.

Luckily, B is well used to my erratic choices in riding weather, so she was just a bit more up than normal which made for some really fantastic feeling canter work. In trot, we are remembering basics like staying bent around the circle on the left rein without bulging the outside shoulder, but that's just a coming back to work fitness thing. I don't get the feeling its something we're going to be stuck on very long. She's going to pick a battle over it...she's trying, its just hard right now. In canter, the momentum helps her out a little and I get more of a feel of what I remember her feeling like before she had time off.

Something I read in a Charlotte Dujardin interview stuck in my brain in a good way. Basically, she wants to be a lazy rider. Not really, but her horses are so forward and fine tuned to her aids that she's sitting there doing the least amount of work necessary. In the USEF Robert Dover Clinic this year he also mentioned that quote and he really had his riders focusing on having "everything and anything" accessible from anywhere. I.e. in collected walk you should be able to ask for extended trot and get it.

With my current mindset of being kind to myself and not overdoing it, focusing on having the horses I ride be accountable for their share of the work seems like a timely idea. One my micromanaging self is finally ready to embrace :)

Randomly just noticed today that Bridget has eyebrows. That darker colored hair on her face is actually longer and thicker than the reddish colored part of her coat. Funny.

I almost feel like Bridget and I have a fresh start, since due to fitness and minor injury her workload is starting back quite minimal. I think I mentioned that I've noticed too that compared to the other horses I ride, Bridget is tough. So, no time like the present to play with making her even more sharper off my aids and holding her accountable for her own self! I am so determined to not repeat past mistakes when I start Sophie (New and interesting ones only, please! :D) so it's kind of cool I have this time to revisit and work on things with Bridget.