Summer, it seems, is just starting to get good. A weekend trip to Vermont found Neil a perfect (really perfect) barn with an indoor and lots of other event prospects for me to ride, within biking distance of campus, and potential mucking/riding/teaching jobs. How do we know it's the place for us? Well, it could have to do with the fact that while we were waiting for the barn manager to get home from the horse show, they just put me on a horse (my kind of people, and my kind of big Irish event horse, come to think of it). Can we say, happy broke college student?
Last week, I spent a few days at the Hundred Acre Wood in Jefferson- home of Clary Lake Pony Club, day camp, and Jack the wonder pony stallion. I had a blast teaching there! Tuesday we had a fun jump group after the camp lessons and then picked up a couple of horses (great job Melissa, Justin, Emma, Livy, and Keyanna!). Wednesday was camp lessons again, and then a little reunion with my Champs '08 teammate Jessica Champagne, who is prepping for her HB rating. Rach has tons of horses to look at, so we did a lot of conformation and anatomy- good review for my rusty, someday HA candidate brain. Thursday started wonderfully late with a 10 AM lesson for Melissa again, which was really fun because she rode Brig, who had been struggling with some adjustability issues the day before. Brought out Ali Stillers' good old 6/6/7/5/6 exercise (Abby Moody, if you're reading this, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about) for some striding fun. Afternoon jump group got a really fun grid/land and turn exercise which really helped and challenged some horses! I hadn't taught in a while and I always forget how much fun it is.
What I also forgot was that teaching really helps me ride better. It's not just that I'm more aware of my own position out of guilt or whatever (i.e., I just told ten kids to keep their heels down, guess I'd better do some no-stirrup work today); I can also think-talk to myself more constructively (i.e., instead of jeeze, that was a shitty leg yield, it's do it again with more weight in your left stirrup or something like that). Prepping with Jess reminded me that somewhere in my future is another upper level testing and I need to ride like I'm prepping for it, every single day. And mastering my own evil jumping exercises with perfect position ought to keep me busy for a long, long time.
In general news, I finally got Neil out for a hack and some light trot sets (two minutes), his first at the new barn he's at. Farm roads are my favorite for hacking, they definitely beat the back roads with cars going 65 past you and no shoulder. I just need to find some hills- I'm definitely missing the Horseplay Farm hayfields right now, so maybe I'll pop over there some day this week. Neil also put on some weight, finally, and he looks awesome if I do say so myself. Although Nub (aka Rapunzel) isn't terribly fit, he now understands that bucking and bolting areunacceptable responses to being allowed outside the indoor arena, so we have been playing with some transitions and figures outside (very exciting).
Next week I'm rating some kids at Foxcroft Pony Club on Thursday and doing HB stuff with Ashley, and then it looks (though looks may deceive) like I have a whole weekend with no major commitments, so a possible trip to Hancock. Pumped! What else am I pumped for you may ask? Charlotte Pony Club Schooling Trials at Triple Combination Farm in my soon-to-be new pony club, opening date in a week. Elementary division, prepare to be dominated by your newest upper level member and her baby superhorse. Last but not least, one constitutional theory nerd is enjoying herself some horrible Nicholas Cage movies in honor of the Founding Fathers and Independence Day.
Cheers!
Marina
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