A few of you have asked "What happened to Riley?" He is doing great, and in the warmer weather I love, I'm getting lots of rides in. Here's our most recent footage.
I haven't yet shown Ri this summer. The reasons are a little complicated, I suppose, but it has a little to do with me and a little to do with him and a little to do with finances. First, I can't afford to show two horses, and The Painted One is like a summer fling. He is just such a fun ride, and so different from Ri -- I'm a little infatuated.
Second, on Riley I'm still riding in the indoor, not yet outside. The bar has been raised to get and keep him in his big gaits, fully engaged. The forwardness he needs actually scares me at times, esp. in the canter. I have to get past a certain mental handbrake. I'm frustrated with myself but at the same time I don't want to take him to a show just to limit his performance with my fears. Also, I feel I can recite in advance what any judge is going to tell me. I'm very happy with progress in my understanding and 'feel' for where he needs to be, and what I need to fix when I ride. I am applying this to The Painted One, which is neat for me...
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Wow! You guys look great!
ReplyDeleteTry the book (or re-read it) 'Feel the Fear ...and Do It Anyway' might help with the mental handbrake thing. There are others out there as well..Jane Savoie has one (maybe its the book "It's not just about the ribbons...)that goes into sport psychology and what questions to ask. That's one of my challenges too. Riley looks really good.
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