I survived!

My first riding lesson in YEARS went exceptionally well last night. It took GB and I a couple of tries to find the farm, it has a driveway that's tucked in between two homes. We drove right past it at first!

Once located, a nice winding driveway lead us to a cute little horse farm. The barn was bright and lined with great box stalls with lots of cute faces hanging out waiting for attention. A nice alleyway led from the barn directly into the indoor arena. There was also an outdoor arena available and apparently they have access to trails. Who knew this little gem was tucked back here!

I will admit I was nervous hanging out in the parking lot. I didn't want to make a total fool of myself.

I should have known they would take care of me! They gave me the best lesson horse they have. His name was Mac and it was a great match. I knew it as soon as I walked up to his stall because saw an adorable roaned face and a body covered in spots!

An APPY!!

Mac is a 28 year old gelding who loves life as a lesson horse but, according to the instructor, doesn't particularly like shows. He likes his steady, quiet job on the farm. No need to be flashy. He's my kind of guy!

I mounted up and began my lesson. Mac has a longer stride than Buttercup and is much more methodical with his steps. He's content at whatever speed you choose, a perfect confidence builder!

After a quick warm-up we settled in for the nuts and bolts of the lesson. First up my positioning. Right off the bat my instructor told me to RELAX. She knew I was trying super hard to stay in perfect position. Instead she told me to just ride the horse, let it flow and not be so mechanical. I took a deep breath and started to focus on enjoying the ride.

Apparently I turn my left shoulder inward, so my shoulders aren't perfectly square and I round my back just slightly. I also wasn't maintaining the correct positioning of my elbows, I was looking a bit chicken winged. All things my instructor said were natural things that would happen to a rider that had a couple of falls. You start to default to self preservation.

A couple more laps and I really settled in. My back was straight, my elbows were at the right angle and my heels were down 80% of the time :o)

We stepped it up with a few laps at the canter. Dear old Mac, he just stepped right into it nice as can be! It felt wonderful! I lost my stirrup position a couple of times (those darn heels!) but overall I think we did pretty well!

We even jumped last night!! Now, they were just a couple of small verticals and a cross-rail but what a confidence booster! My first jump wasn't pretty, my weight went on my toes and I felt too much pressure on my hands. Amanda, my instructor, told me to do less for the jump. Not to fling myself into position but to let Mac's momentum and upward movement bring me into position. Rounds 2, 3 and 4 went wonderfully after that piece of advice! I still need to work on maintaining balance between jumps but that will come with practice!

I'm looking forward to maybe starting to take regular lessons. It really felt great last night. I felt that familiar burn in my muscles as I worked my calves and my core. Anyone who thinks the horse does all the work is sadly mistaken!