It's Hard to Change!

I think I've had....four more rides since my last lesson blog? They're really cramming them in. I ride daily, sometimes twice, and all have been formal lessons except one.
The informal lesson was darned good fun. I switched between two teeny tiny ponies (Toby and Millie) and we literally just went racing and galloping around the field. I'm not sure what we were meant to accomplish, except maybe to give the kid's ponies a bit of a lively ride. I had my eye on those ponies since my first day.

Toby (website photo)

The day I own a tiny pony is the day I will know pure happiness.

Let's see....the next lesson I had was on Saffy again, and I must correct myself, she is a British Warmblood not a TB. We didn't do terribly much in the lesson in terms of exercises, mostly working on keeping my seat and contact in the canter transition (seriously, I'm starting to hate canter work because I'm realising how bad I am at it.) The lesson was with Nikki, and she picked up straight away what kind of horses I have been riding for the past few years.
In fact, she warned me not to let Contessa change me TOO much, lest I unlearn the ability to ride the feral young horses. So basically, it's okay to ride like a crazy person sometimes when needed, but I must learn to ride like a refined princess too.

I figured out Saffy a bit better this time (I think) and managed to get her a bit rounder and connected, which is much more than I achieved my last lesson with her. I was still feeling a little disappointed in myself, I know I shouldn't compare myself to the other riders here, but I can't help it. I'm just not there yet!

Next day I was on a fabulous little buckskin paint cob named Maisy, coached by Emma. The cobs here are SO much fun. In every way. We just don't have cobs like this at home. Super heavy, wide and hairy. Love it.

Maisy is a 14.1hh older girl, who has a big sign on her stall saying "this horse bites and kicks". Bless. She was actually fantastic to ride. I felt much MUCH better on a horse of her size. Even though she's wide, I could actually wrap my legs around her and felt more secure in my seat. Not really an excuse for my riding- I need to be able to ride all shapes and sizes, but it made me happier for the brief time I rode her!
Emma was trying to help me get her round- which is a problem I've been having with every single horse I've ridden so far. I just can't seem to sort myself out! My hands are far too inconsistent, and the balance between my hands and leg aids are way off.
As I've always told my students, you can't teach 'feel', no-matter how you explain it, so I'm kind of fumbling around in the dark trying everything I can think of to find these horse's buttons. They are all trained Classical (even the kid's ponies), so it's very obviously my lack of training that is letting me down.
By the end I could get her (and myself!) into position, but couldn't keep it going for more than a few strides here and there.

English Countryside. Because pretty.

The canter was still a problem. I could pick it up, but continually got the wrong leg or lost forward and dropped pace. It is SO hard to change your entire riding technique and still be just as effective as I was before. So SO hard.
Around this point (or perhaps with Saffy in the lesson before) I threw my lower back out something chronic. I've had a sore lower back before, but this hurt. An extremely sharp pain on my left side, with a tiny bump of swelling. Ouchouchouch. Google tells me it's a ligament strain, which would make sense considering my lower back is taking a beating with my new position.

I also thought it would be a great idea to walk to the nearest town. It was only an hour's walk, but it really aggravated my back. It was pretty, though. The flowers here are absolutely gorgeous. We get fireweed and dandelions, here it's daffofils and tulips!

 And the trees! Willows and oaks dominate. So, so pretty.

That recap brings us to the end of Monday- still so behind! Going to go have something to eat and will continue my writing soon. Until then!