Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Oopsie! :(

I really hate to say this but my plans ran aground on Day 2! But maybe this blog will make me figure out how to deal with this so it doesn't have to be written about again.

My best friend and I live (in a "bunkhouse"/rooms in a barn situation) and board our horses at the same farm. We can either motivate each other or, more frequently, DEmotivate each other. I was planning to ride Ginny again last night and do groundwork with either Ditto or his mother Imp. I did neither, because my friend is sore from a trail ride on Saturday, and came home and said "I'm not riding today". And that's all it took. I could've said, ok, well, I'm going to go ride Ginny, I'll catch up with you later. But I didn't. I said "well do you think you are seriously going to ride tomorrow night?" meaning Tuesday. And she said yes. So we shall see.

Here's the deal -- we don't even ride together. She is putting the first rides on her young stallion (who is NOT, incidentally, the VLC -- different friend, different horse!), and he hasn't been ridden with other horses yet. But at least if we are in the riding/training frame of mind, we do it, even if it's not at the same time. And so far I've been assisting with her and her colt, which makes me feel I can ask for assistance with my wide mare, even if it's just to hold her while I get on. God help me when she is riding the stallion or one of her other horses without assistance, if I still would prefer to have some help. I'm a bit embarrassed and feel ridiculous needing help with a totally quiet (read: half asleep) fat mare but if it can be a trade-off of "I help you/you help me" I don't feel so bad. That's the type of rhythm we get into on the days when we do work with the horses. Without that, last night, I was more than willing to abandon my plans.

We'll see how tonight goes. My friend and I do everything together (no, we are not a couple) so it's going to be a challenge to say "OK, but today I *am* going to ride". It didn't work on Day 2.

1 comment:

fuglyhorseoftheday said...

Saddle up the little spotted gelding and see how he does. I'll ride him tonight if he can handle longeing in tack. :-)