New Horse Adventures

Moving across the country is great for many reasons (2 hours and $20 to get to NYC, for one!), bad for the horsey life.  Or at least bad for the horse life when one lives in the middle of a huge city.  But I've finally found a situation that works for now... after a bit of trial and error.

Barn #1:

Way too far away and was kind of falling down.

Wasn't worth the trip (and their pricier lessons) for the instruction I saw.

Barn #2:

Took a month of lessons at a barn that also does a great program for inner-city kids.

Lessons were... interesting?  Basically dodging horses/riders and trying not to inadvertently jump something!

Rode a cute horse named Gato, who really needed to be clipped, made me kind of sad:

Fun to ride, but after 2 lessons on him (and 2 on Jordan, a speedy little thing who I spent the first lesson trying to discern the difference between his trot and canter aids! Thankfully he had a cute little canter, but still kind of a pain) I knew that wasn't the place for me.  I value horsekeeping a bit too much, I've been spoiled!

Barn #3:

This is feeling a bit Cinderella and the glass slipper (or Goldilocks and the Three Bears...).

I was reluctant to try barn #3, because it's theoretically a "therapeutic" barn.  Which I don't really need, as long as I have an understanding instructor and good horses... but since I can't find that in a reasonable distance from where I live... And I like their horse care, horses get corrective pads and are nicely groomed, tack doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart in your hands, all good things!

I've had 4 rides so far on a great former eventer named Mason.  Not quite sure WHAT he is, some kind of drafty Appy thing? But he's fun!  He reminds me of riding Indy in the way he moves, maybe just because he's taller than Radar/etc?  His trot is great to post, and actually not as disastrous as I thought it might be to attempt sit.  He's fun like Indy in that he's physically forward but not "up" mentally - the perfect combination for me!

Not that happy with the fact that my lessons are only 1/2 hour, but that seems to be par for the course for all lesson programs around here.  Much better than nothing!  Yesterday we did some pole work and I learned that it's incredibly difficult to convince a former jumper to stop with front legs on one side of the pole and hind legs on the other!  We figured out our seat aids and got on the same page.  Excited to see what else he's capable of with his background!  Might attempt a dressage show this fall if I'm here!

(not my picture, and not that flattering of the poor, sort of homely but cute guy...)

 So that's my long-overdue horsey update.