One thing I think most of us freely admit is we are NOT the best at riding. Even people I know who are amazing riders (cough, cough, the900facebookpony.com I am looking at you!) think they don’t ride well.
So when I saw the topic for Day 3, I thought maybe I just give up this daily posting for a month right now!! You know I can’t talk about my best riding when I think I actually DON’T ride very well! HA.
I am very hard on myself as a rider. I know I lean forward. My leg goes backwards. My hands can be all over the place. I look down at times (that has finally got better FINALLY) especially as we thunder (I use the term thunder, generally we mostly lope) toward a particularly scary jump. Let’s not even start on how much a wimp I can be getting on strange horses, or even riding my current horse if there is something going on that freaks Remus out (Amish cart MUST you drive 55? LOL). I have been riding for 40 plus years and I still don’t feel an expert and sometimes am not sure HOW to perform a haunches in or a leg yield out. And I have to get Emily or Sally to break down in the minute detail how to do certain exercises because I don’t get it. But hey that keeps all my instructors in their jobs so I guess it all comes out okay in the end?
So my best riding is when I finish a jump course with a smile on my face and friends yelling and whooping in the background. My best riding is when I actually get down the center line semi-straight and halt on a square (yeah it can happen rarely). My best riding is when I just go for a trail ride with friends or on a spin around the ring.
Going cross county can help make me feel bolder and that makes me a better rider (Something about cruising across open fields over jumps pumps me up, of course it also makes me want to vomit so there is that!) and people watching me ride usually makes me ride better too (sometimes NOT always LOL). Sally can make me feel ten feet tall while jumping and Emily can make me feel like a upper level dressage rider (Okay may be pushing it a bit there!). So there is a combination of things that make me feel like I am not totally incompetent as a rider. So as long as there are jumps to jump, trots to trot, and woods to gallop through, and instructors to help me improve myself, my best riding is just riding. And enjoying the ride. Because what is the point otherwise?
Fat Buckskin in a Little Suit 
Awe, I love this and 100% relate to every single word.
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You’re a much better rider than you give yourself credit for!
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Completely relate! But I think you’ve got it. We’re good at riding because we keep on riding and enjoy not necessarily because of talent and all that other stuff that I certainly lack! The enjoyment is certainly the most important part!
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aw i agree you are definitely *way* too hard on yourself as a rider – you and Remus do such a nice job together and always look like you’re having a blast!! also brita always jokingly says that the best part about riding (esp at a show) is when it’s over haha and we can go back to the trailers and chillax 😉
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I would agree you’re too hard on yourself – I think you and Remus do great! Yeah we’re all hard on ourselves I think, but I think that also helps us strive to be as good as we can and to continue doing well. And it sounds like that’s exactly what you and Remus are doing!
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You are wayyyy too hard on yourself!! You guys do great ❤
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I totally get you. I am the same way, firmly in the adult amateur camp, just trying to do the best I can and enjoy the ride!! 🙂 (And I agree with others, you are too hard on yourself!)
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