Getting back into it...

...pain and all. Sigh.

I've ridden Ginny twice this week. The first ride (after the unintentional hiatus caused by work and foalwatch) didn't go so well. I was in pain the whole time I was riding, and I had trouble getting the Pony Princess to do... anything.

At that point I decided to give up something I had been holding dear. Although I did have Ginny started by a trainer, after the training was over I wanted to Do It Myself. So while I'd let friends get on Ginny, they couldn't go forth and do things that I wasn't doing myself. Until I trotted her, no one could trot. Since I still haven't loped her, no one could lope. This was NOT because I was convinced of my ability to continue her training better than anyone else. Or continue it at all, frankly. It really was, um, jealousy. It's hard enough being as slow to progress as I have been without seeing someone else get on -- without pain and stiffness and all the crap I'm dealing with -- and get to do stuff I couldn't.

Well, what the hell does that accomplish, really? Did I really want Ginny to go without a good trot (read: more than 10 strides) or a lope for freakin' EVER? So I asked my best friend if she wanted to take Ginny for a spin. I still feel a bit sorry for myself but really it's got to be best for Ginny to actually do the stuff I want to start doing with her!

Despite how short that ride was, I was sore for a couple of days. But today I felt much looser. Ahh, so did Ginny. She was very forward-moving tonight and I was a bit nervous. There were horses in the arena with her and she was not paying me much attention. I did a lot of circles (all at the walk)! Cathy saw me ride for the first time, and pointed out that my legs are locked and stiff (NO!) so I'm not really sitting in the saddle. I knew that, I guess, from all the pain -- how would that NOT lock my legs and make them tense? But hearing it stated a different way gives me more things to work on. Both Stephanie (my best friend) and Cathy rode Ginny tonight after I was done with my very short ride full of circles. I decided not to push it because I'd like to be riding again on Friday, not too stiff to get back on.

Things are going well with my new colt. I have been very consistent with him (yay, I'm consistent for once!). He was really crabby and unfriendly -- didn't like to be handled or even pet. It took two people to separate him from his mom and "hug" him for some human interaction. Now both he and his dam are cooperating much more. Nique actually has the drill down -- she almost hands him to me! It helps that she is very responsive and has great ground manners. I can ask her to back away from him just by touching her chest and pointing. Once he is at one end of their big stall, he now just sighs and lets me pet him all over. Occasionally I hit a spot that he really seems to enjoy! Tonight I haltered him and did some work with a rope around him. Nothing too strenuous, and never with just a rope on the halter which could get us into a pulling match. That baby neck isn't up to any arguments, it's just not that important at this point. But we are warming up to each other due to the repetition, and I'm pretty proud of both of us.

Just FINALLY sent off the big stupid work project, after the other folks delivered what they had to do. I'm off work tomorrow and Friday... hooray! Nothing planned except errands and cleaning but I really need the break. I hope to get in a few rides too!