I had another wonderful week of three rides, and all my rides were in absolutely beautiful spring weather.  The only downside is that it is becoming more and more apparent that I’ve lost just about all the physical progress I’d made over the past 6-7 years.  I post the trot for maybe a quarter of the ring and I have to rest.  My previously taut muscles have lost all their tone.  I get off the horse and I am so tired that I do not walk well.  And there I am on Mia and she is going “Woman, why aren’t you riding as good--get out of my mouth!  Get coordinated!”

At least my hands are still staying steady at the posting trot.

Since the spring grass is coming in I have to keep up with Mia’s hooves.  Since I am doing them twice a week right now it isn’t too hard on me but I’m sort of dreading it if I miss a week.  Her hooves grow FAST in the springtime!  At least Debbie did the heavy grooming for my lesson.  Mia is shedding, her hair is adorning everything I use around her and weaving itself into the saddle pads.  Mia still kicks some at her hock boots, and the next time I have a lesson on her I’m thinking of leaving them off so Debbie and I can see if there is any improvement.  During the lesson Mia completely refused to keep contact beyond three strides at a walk, though interestingly enough she let me keep contact at the posting trot.  Since Cider had willingly kept contact with me at the walk last Sunday I knew that my hands were not completely unacceptable so I decided that it was time for me to change the Mia’s bit back to the JP Dr. Bristol from the JP Copper Ball Link Full Cheek I’ve been using lately. 

Debbie did not yell at me too much about my position and I think my ancient double-offset Prussian sided stirrups are helping me keep my legs in position though I have to concentrate on relaxing my ankles, some of my muscles seem to have shortened up during the last three months.  Since it is cool enough I can wear my FITS full-seat breeches which are also helping my security in the saddle.  After a few trots Debbie came up to me when I was resting and poked her finger into my thigh, exclaiming that I’d lost a good deal of muscle there and I needed to do more 2-point work.  So most of the rest of my lesson was in two-point with plenty of rests.  Mia was not as crisp in response to my aids as usual, but I know that is all MY fault, my shaking hands, my imbalance in the saddle, my incoordination, and my total lack of stamina.  It may take me months to get myself back to where Mia thinks I’m an acceptable rider.  In the meantime she graciously puts up with me and my many imperfections so long as I listen to all her reprimands and quit irritating the sh-t out of her.

On Friday I used with the JP Dr. Bristol snaffle.  My son was busy so my husband was helping me which meant I had to do about half the brushing.  Debbie was kind enough to check the hock boots after I put them on and Mia had kicked her right hind a few times.  This time, with the different bit, Mia was much more willing to keep contact at the walk, and a few times she gave me real good contact.  I had finally remembered how I had done the few steps of shoulder-in before my attack and she rewarded me with one step each way so long as I kept my hands out of her mouth, she just would not do it on contact.  I practiced my two-point mostly at the walk with some at the trot, and I did not take the easy way out by sitting the trot but got myself really tired by posting.  I am determined to get my riding back!  This time Mia did not like my contact at the posting trot but this might have been because I was still tired from my lesson on Wednesday.

The great thing about riding Mia is that I know I can trust her to be completely honest about my riding.  She will put up with a slightly shifting seat and weak feeling leg aids, but if my hands go wrong she tells me IMMEDIATELY.  If my seat is unsteady at all I really have to use my legs to get her into a trot and to keep her at the trot.  I sort of feel bad for the mare but I need the physical therapy of riding to get better.  So I just try to irritate her as little as possible, listen to all her objections, and praise her mightily each time she gives me anything complicated.

Debbie told me about her horse’s progress with the Back on Track hock boots.  This gelding had been refusing to stay in the canter more than a few strides.  Debbie used the boots on him like I do with Mia, putting them on for the walk and trot part of the lesson.  Then, before the cantering started, Debbie took the boots of the horse and he cantered around the ring two times!  She is planning on starting the other, older gelding on the boots, gradually working up to him wearing them overnight with stable bandages and all.  She is becoming a believer just like me.  The results from the Back on Track stuff I use is awesome! 

Cider gave me a marvelous ride today.  She still wasn’t too responsive for the complicated stuff and I know I won’t get much progress there until I get my body back.  Doing a nice, long-strided walk she gave me contact but something is still wrong with my hands and body because she would not go straight.  Her trot was delightful, and I did not have to use my legs much at all.  Cider was telling me that I have to work on my side-to-side balance and that she won’t go straight at the walk until I get myself centered in the saddle.  So I did more two-point which is difficult with the much higher pommel of the EZ-Fit saddle but I managed to stay up and balance by holding on to her mane.  I can’t do the two-point for very long right now because my weak back muscles start hurting.

Even though I get really tired riding now I am walking better and I feel steadier on my feet.  I am dealing with stressful situations much better.  I have hope that I might be able to get back to washing dishes in a month or two.  If I was not managing to ride I’d be getting weaker daily and my balance would get worse because I could not practice keeping balanced on a horse.  Because I ride horses I have hope that tomorrow will be better.

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran