Summary of 2008!

Well, 2008 was an eventful year for me! We made a lot of progress this year and I have personally learnt a lot! The begining of the year I was terribly frustrated with my riding and my seeming inability to influence Antsje with my position. Then I made two fundamental breakthroughs with my riding this year. One was the concept of riding from inside leg to outside hand - Although I thought I was doing this correctly I really wasnt! And although many different people have tried to get me to understand this, it really didnt click until I went for a lesson with Peter Maddison Greenwell. He got me to ride one handed on a circle keeping the inside bend - I was hopeless at first but suddenly we got it!! And all of a sudden I FELT what it was like to have the horse 'in' the outside rein and turn with the inside leg and outside rein! It was AMAZING! And has made a massive difference to my riding :-)

Secondly was a comment from one of my friends who gives great critique! She noticed how I relied on my reins for balance and asked how would I ride without reins?! So I tried the 'without reins' riding and was shamed and horrified how much I relied on them :-( So the end of 2008 has been about me practising an 'independent seat'

 We have been doing a fair bit of hacking and some schooling in the field over the xmas holiday. I even got chance to hire out an arena for a proper schooling session but have to admit that both of us have lost some of the finnesse we had built up towards the end of last year **sigh** Still, I have learnt that frustration gets you nowhere other than a hiding to nothing, so I am POSITIVE that we will regain the lost time quickly as long as I remember all the things I learnt last year :-)

Here is a bit of video as a starting point for this year - I was a bit despondant when I watched it, but hey! Things can only get better right!!!

I am starting off the year in a positive way and tommorrow I have a lesson with Mike Aylmore who I have been training with for nearly 2 years now!! I get such a lot out of his lessons so be prepared for a mamoth post tommorrow lol!!!

Oh! And a BIG HELLO to my two followers Trudi and Claire :-) I can be rest assured that I will get some good feedback on my ramblings :-) Thanks guys!