Off the lunge!

Had a good ride on Echo before the session yesterday, he's fun and relatively uncomplicated.

Today I had my third lesson on Indy and finally (eventually) got off the lunge at the trot for the first time. Thankfully his trot is rhythmic and steady, because it's huge! I think he has the longest legs of any horse I've ever ridden, hence the long stride. But I really do feel secure on him (we moved the thigh blocks around on the Wintec and improved my leg position) and am having a lot of fun. Also love the fact that people were using farm equipment and moving large piles of gravel around the arena and he didn't bat an eye. Definitely can't beat that!

Envy! Maybe not?

I think almost all of us wish something were different about our riding life sometimes. Of course I wish I had access to expensive, high-quality schoolmasters and shows. Perhaps someday I will, but I do have to realize every so often that I am learning and growing immensely as a rider - perhaps more than I would grow in a different riding environment. I like having the horsemanship knowledge and background that makes me confident and knowledgeable, and am continuously amazed when people who are exposed to echelons of the horse world that I will never reach don't know things such as identifying horse breeds that I spent my entire childhood reading and re-reading about. It's just nice to get a bit of perspective every so often. It was ridiculously hot yesterday, so I just walked Echo around a bit before lessons. He was good, as usual, I love older, well-behaved Arabs!