Thursday, November 26, 2009

11/25/09 Vacation Day 2 - Thankful For

Burning legs... *laugh* Let me explain...

I got up & moving early enough in the morning to get Ransom ridden around mid-day. The weather was absolutely fantastic, moderate temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and I could hear the weed eater whipping in the distance... Wait, that's not distance. That's the rest of my fence line getting chewed to the dirt. Thanks R! You got my normal two days of weeding down to three hours, and the entire fenceline is clear, including those obnoxious tree limbs on the wooded side. Thank you thank you!

Ransom and I rode hunter. I had plans for a hunt lesson on Saturday, and wanted to remind my body how to ride in shorter stirrups, heels way down, balanced gently on my heels rather than seat. The start of our ride was incredible. Just fun! Rode all three gaits, no issues, no problems. In fact, I was able to transition in and out of trot sitting, from walk and from canter. Pretty neat.

I tossed each stirrup over the front of the saddle, and got right down to business. Every book I've read, every internet article I've studied, every blog I've reviewed, all say ... Got to be able to manage walk, trot, canter without stirrups before considering a safe jump. So, I got going into a trot, quickly realizing that a sitting trot was easier than a posting trot. Owwwie on the thighs.... :)

Knowing the trot was a lot of work, well, at least for me, I sat deep, and squeezed up into a canter. I found it quite easy to stick outside leg back without the stirrups interfering. NeatO! Bumbled up into a nice forward canter, legs stuck to his sides. I was giggling flat out loud, and even whoooping a "yeeha" a few times. Ransom stayed light on the bit, and steady in the circle I asked for, and I actually had to add some inside leg to keep him on the canter.

Fantastic fun! Both directions, all three gaits, stirrup-less. When I retrieved them for his cool down, my legs felt like they'd been stretched, because those stirrups felt much shorter... *giggle*

After the ride, a shower, and a little relaxing, R and I headed to Jen's house for a Thanksgiving feast! Thank you again, Ma'am, for fantastic cookings! Whoo Whee! Good Good foods! She fixed up a ham with my allergies in mind, much appreciated. Some other friends of hers came to visit as well, so the house was plenty full. A really nice time. Sure beats sitting at home alone like I've done in years' past.

Sore and tired, my legs singing their own tune of owwies, I settled in early to bed.

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