Java

First ride in four months and I had the choice between Gody and Java, so obviously going to pick Java! She's my friends 8yr old quarter horse/paint mare and she's always so much fun! She picks up on the personality of the rider and reacts to it, for me and K she's nice and relaxed but for L and the girl who leases her have much "stronger" personalities so she reacts to that as well.

She was really good today but we didn't do a whole lot since I haven't ridden in so long and it's cold and snowy so we didn't want to get her sweaty.

The exercise was to go over 6-8 trot poles in the two point and just let the horse do whatever they wanted and you just stayed still. It's meant to build trust, especially over jumps. You don't get in their way and they don't have to worry about it. For the jumping part she made the middle X rail and then we did that a few times, added on the second one behind it and eventually the third in front was a vertical. For the most part things went really well but at the same time it hard to really judge that since the jumps were so small and there was only three. But it was a lot of fun and I'm happy to finally be back at the barn!

She's not sure who I'll ride next Saturday since the girl leasing Java might be back by then. In which I'll probably be stuck with Gody and he takes so much work to get going haha. Hopefully I won't be  stiff tomorrow.

Saturday Lesson

Heard back from K and there is an open spot for a jumping lesson this Saturday and next Saturday and then Thursday evenings starting in January, although she isn't sure who I'd ride in the Thursday lessons but that she would work something out! =D

Riding Again!

 Or so I hope.

I've contacted K about riding again and just doing a weekly lesson rather than leasing, at least for the winter term, so I just have to wait to hear back if she has room in the lesson times I can make and if she even has a horses. I'm hoping for Rocky, but since Kokanee usually stays inside in the winter, I wouldn't object to him either. No standing around trying to towel dry him after lessons! We'll see. I'm not sure what I'll do if she doesn't have room/a horse, I could go somewhere else for a few months I guess. There's a place actually like a 30min walk (yes, walk!) from the place I live at in the city during the uni terms but 1. it's more expensive 2. you can really only walk there when there's no snow since there's a very steep hill that's rather dangerous to walk down during the winter 3. it's kind of falling apart (or it looks like it from the outside) 4. I'd feel bad riding somewhere else but maybe there isn't going to be a choice 5. i don't know anyone there