Lessons in Humidity (Or Dressage)

As everyone here knows, I have not ridden in forever. HA. So why not schedule my first ride back as a lesson. Two reasons for this 1) IT MAKES ME RIDE and 2) boy do we need help!! Actually he was pretty darn good considering he has only trail rode the last few weeks. But the humidity was horrible. We decided to to trailer to Emily’s rather than having her come to me (hindsight, it was much better to ride indoor in that horrible humidity than outdoors where the sun would have been beating down as well so this was a good plan).

I got to see Emily on one of her youngsters she is training. I could watch her forever train a baby. She is so patient and the baby was all over the place and she just kept riding like nbd. I would be curled into a fetal ball or on the ground! He was very very cute but very very looky and every few feet he would stare and jump at the dressage letters like they were going to eat him.

Remus and I stood and watched for a few minutes then I realized it might be cooler up aboard him than standing in the dirt watching (no breeze AT ALL). He had actually sweated in the trailer over it was that humid. And my trailer is cool. So I hopped on while Emily finished up and she took the baby back up to the barn and we walked while waiting for her (And there was more of a breeze up aboard). The windows on the arena were open so at least there were some cool shots of breeze every once in awhile But over all it was just ick.

This year has been the year of the mildew too. UGH even my gloves had mildewed inside my bag for my helmet (EWW) so I didn’t wear gloves. Which was a bad idea since horse has not been ridden so he was heavy headed and those Eponia reins which I like are hard webbed things that scrape your hands if no gloves are worn. Live and learn. And have sores. 🙂

After walking a bit and getting his mind where it needed to be (He actually was pretty good starting out) we began our trotting. And dear god he was HEAVY. Our reference is the Eponia logo on his bridle at the top of his poll. I have to be able to read it at all times  (says Emily!), if I can’t read it his poll is too low. So I have to bop him back up (which is essentially squeezing one hand then the other then giving in the reins so he relaxes again once he raises his head a bit). This is an ongoing thing with us and we struggle. Hard with it. EVERY lesson.  And I imagine will continue to struggle with it. Some things do not change! And I left my spurs off (NOT on purpose). I need to surgically implant them on my heels! LOL

We had some good circles and some good trots across the diagonals. I also struggle to sit back enough in the dressage saddle so a lot of the instruction from Emily goes like this, “sit back, shoulders back, right shoulder back more, thumbs point away, shoulders back, more more more.” So sad. After we had done some circles and had a few moments of brilliance (very few) we rested a bit and caught our breath. Then we cantered after a break from all that working. I was soaked, Remus was soaked, it was gross. He also got a bit pissy with his head at the end of our trot work. And my shoulders were very tired from riding a freight train (Oh and going to the gym for five days in row this week probably did not help much either). So we started out a bit better trotting than we ended. Life is good. HA.

His canter was short but sweet. He really was not bad at all. No fuss or buck. Which was good. We started out on a circle and then once he went into the canter we went on the long side. The one way he was perfect, the other way he zigged a bit before cantering but he was still polite. Then we called it a day cause oh yeah it was hot and humid. He was exhausted. (poor pony works so hard NOT!)!

We have a jump lesson with Sally on Wednesday and Straight Up Combined Event on Sunday so busy week ahead!