Thurs 3rd Feb 2011 - Yee Ha!

Coolio, I did it!!!!

Set out on my hack this morning on a new route that I've been planning with the goal to trot all the way along the track that runs along the side of the golf course. Its a goal I set last night, to complete that particular trot, at Lisa's confidence strategy evening last night. Its something that I felt excited about doing and had visualised how good it would feel at the end of last night's session. Anyway, we did it!! And it felt fantastic. My mare was really light in the hand and steady, and I could relax and enjoy it.....

We continued around the route and we were walking around the corner when all of a sudden my horse took off!!! We were cantering along flat out and I had no idea why.....I just remember thinking that it would be really good if I could stay on, wondering how far we were going to go, and then realising that we were picking up speed!!! The next thing I registered was my instructor's voice shouting at me, but I couldn't hear what he was saying!!! Then I thought I heard something about right hand, and remembered the right hand up emergency stop. So, up went my hand, and miraculously it worked! My mare turned sharp right and then stopped (narrowly missing a tree, but she stopped all the same). Wooooppppeeee!!!! It works and I did it!

Isn't it funny how the fear of the unknown and the anticipation of the event can be so much worse than the actual event itself???? Ok, so admittedly I wouldnt choose for that to happen on a ride, quite the opposite in fact. But at least now I know that I can deal with it when it does happen, rather than wondering..... I feel in a weird way its actually good that its happened.....

Funnily enough, it was a dog off the lead that had jumped out of a bush behind her that had frightened my horse, the thing that I had mentioned I was worried about at the meeting the previous evening.....

Anyway, we continued on our hack and I think the main difference I noticed in myself again was that now I was concentrating on my horse, and trying to reassure her and calm her, rather than wanting to cry, get off, and think about myself. This is such a big change for me and I know I've got a really long way to go with it to be able to do this completely in a relaxed way, but I am really trying, and so am very much on the right path...