Let it be

Arrived early for the group riding lesson yesterday. Not having to rush makes it easier to be a Feeling Rider. Have to remember this for endurance ride mornings.

I forgot to wear my Feeling Rider pin, but I imagined that I was wearing it. And that works too :)

Tacked up at the trailer and warmed up in the sand ring as the other riders got ready. Very busy sunny warm Saturday afternoon. Neighbours out with their lawn tractors, kids squealing and running around. I sang "We can work it out" to Luba as we walked around, finding our focus and then trotted some figure eights.

The big "ah ha" of the day was about letting go. Sonja has been encouraging me to ride with my reins held in one hand. This helps me to focus on riding from my seat.

Our group lesson ended up being in the grass ring, a new riding location for me and Luba. The far end of the ring is adjacent to the paddock where Bill and Luba stay. So this end was interesting with Bill calling to Luba and running around. In the end, Luba and I were able to work it out.

Three grays and two bays today. Gray bay gray bay gray. If nothing else, we would be visually balanced and pleasing for the lesson :)

During our turn at the canter, I discovered that riding with one hand makes things smoother and quieter. Putting the reins in my outside hand and lifting my inside arm in a happy salute really helped me to feel the canter and just let it happen. (Let it be. Maybe our next theme song?) Both hands on the steering wheel and I block the canter, making both of us unhappy and tense. Fussing and fighting. :(

The highlight of the lesson was the merry-go-round exercise. Horses on the centre circle going one direction and one horse inside the circle going in the other direction. Luba and I had left lead canter enjoyment while all the other horses did right lead canter around us.

Luba has the potential to be the first gray horse ever recruited for in the Musical Ride!  And now that I can ride with one hand, I could carry that lance. :)