No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth or fallen in a hole. I've simply neglected to blog in the past seven months! While this blog has been in suspended animation, life has not. It's been busy 'round these parts! It's no surprise that my last post was just before school started up in the fall and it has been nothing but crickets around here since then. School has been crazy this year - it feels more busy than normal, but I'm sure that's just me. Nevertheless, I still feel a bit breathless by the time we get to the end of each week.
Obe has been amazing the last few months. Last year's show season was so good for her simply because we traveled quite a bit. Discovering that she's better travelling alone made a world of difference, and I actually felt relaxed and confident at the last two shows of the season. This winter, we've done several lessons with Debra, and those are always revolutionary for me. I've also been doing quite a bit of riding without stirrups, which has been an eye-opener on so many levels. First, I'm a weakling overall, especially in my core! Second, I collapse my left ribcage (which I knew) because I tip my right hip/seatbone down off the side of the saddle. When I have a right stirrup, I don't feel that part of the equation...I only feel the left ribcage shorten. Without stirrups, though, the slipping right seatbone is abundantly clear! Nearly everything about my position goes back to my wonky left leg. If I'm able to sit down into my left thigh and keep my left hamstring engaged, it keeps my thigh flat on the saddle, my knee against the saddle flap, and my foot somewhat parallel to my horse's side. My natural tendency is to turn my toe out and shorten my leg up the saddle with my knee turned out with my toe. Hideous....
All that to say that the fall and winter have been great for me and Obe. She is growing up, and I am getting stronger and addressing the finesse pieces that I've needed to put in place for a while. I'm hoping to get to a schooling show at the end of this month...but I haven't planned my show season beyond that. We'll see what comes my way.
