I'm a dressage rider. I'm not in the best shape, and neither is my horse, but neither of us have had an easy time of things. I've dealt with health problems since I was 12 and Fable had surgery on her hock when she was about 5 and has had a hard time getting back to being sound. I've been riding for 15 years, but due to my health issues it's been very on and off and I really don't look like I've been riding for longer than a year. I'm timid and confidence isn't my strong point, but I do what I can and my love for horses and riding has never gone away.
My horse is a stunning 10 year old Thoroughbred x Oldenburg mare, jet black, and has more attitude in one hoof than a lot of the horses I've met. I've owned her since she was born and while we've had our issues, she is the love of my life and the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. Her training is like my riding - not exactly solid - but so far I've managed to stay on and we're both still alive! Since moving to a new barn a year and a half ago Fable has been a gem under saddle (when she's sound) and I've been so excited to get her back to work.
Today I had the old Fable back. The moment we stepped into the arena I could feel the energy pulsing through her body. I started getting nervous, but then some words from my old trainer popped into my head and I remembered the exercises she would have me do when Fable would get that way at the old barn. I started moving her in small circles, changing direction often to keep her mind busy, and while she was still full of energy, she wasn't exploding out from under me. Then she saw it. The most horrendous thing a horse could EVER see - men working on a house two doors over. Her head shot up, she froze, and her body started shaking. I tried circling again, but her mind was not with me, and when a big dump truck came onto the property she was mentally gone. She spooked, then gave a little buck, rear, and several head flings. I tensed up, but then my old trainers words came into my head again and kept myself leaning back and not collapsing onto her neck when she jumped around. When she started running sideways and backwards, once again I heard my old trainer telling me to just make her move forward. Even though I was terrified that strong leg contact would make her explode, I pushed her forward. When I finally got her to walk forward for about 7 strides I decided to call it quits, end on a somewhat positive note, and not push my luck.
While a better rider could have pushed her even further and gotten through it, I feel positive about how I handled the situation. I didn't jump off when I felt her tense up. I didn't get off when my legs turned to jelly. I remembered all the things I had been taught and didn't give up. Instead of being frustrated and angry, I came away feeling a little bit more confident about my riding and my ability to handle sticky situations.
I'm still far from being a great rider, and one day is just a drop in the bucket, but it all adds up and gets me closer to my goal of being a good rider.
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