Actually, I mean a few things by that, but it all boils down to one major problem: no consistency. Not in my riding schedule, or my fitness schedule, my writing schedule (hellooo, when did I write my last blog post?!), or just my life in general. This makes for a sometimes OK, sometimes not very good rider. As I posted to my Facebook Page a few weeks ago, Aristotle says that, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." I have been riding inconsistently, therefore I am an inconsistent rider. Yuck. That's not what we're about here at Sonata Equestrian. We're about trying our best and being strong partners to our equines.
Let's actually start by talking about the good things, however, such as my really great lesson on Evan a few weeks ago. I remember riding and thinking to myself that I felt like I really "had it together." Through the walk, trot, canter; over a few jumps; it felt easy, like I didn't have to think but just do it. My trainer said it looked good. I was really happy with it.
Then life took a little twist. With one of my grandparents sick, I stayed up all night with her praying that she'd get better. I went to work the following day, leaving her in the care of my parents. At the end of the day, I received a phone call that while she had gotten better throughout the day, my grandfather on the other side had suddenly passed away. With all of the arrangements and family visiting, my schedule didn't allow much time to ride-- I even had to cancel my chore night and a lesson the next week.
I went out and rode Thunder on that Friday, but he knew something was wrong and wasn't about to let me get away with anything but a really focused ride. I can always count on him to make me work for it. We did a lot of walk and trot work, but he was pushy and jumpy for much of it. When I finally poured all of my thought process into riding, he came back together, and we rode very nicely for a while before I hopped down and walked around with him, working on his ground manners. From that point he was a nice gentleman, and I really appreciated him and his "attitude." It's true, he made me work hard, but I think he did it a little bit because he wanted to pull me back together, too.
On Tuesday I went to another barn for chores. This is where I volunteer to feed, turnout, and clean up after a herd of about eleven horses. I jokingly refer to this as my "horse control:" the preventive measure I take to keep myself from running out and buying a horse of my own. It's not very effective. I found that I enjoy caring for the horses very much, and I like participating in their herd life and spending time with them while no one else is around. It really gives me some peace and it offers a lot of insight into how they behave when humans are scarce.
Tuesday was the day, however, that my joints and sinuses noticed the change in the weather. My body was very stiff, and even the joints in my hands and feet were stiff and painful. Ibuprofen, with its anti-inflammatory properties, was how I managed through the day in an office chair at the computer and then an evening of halter buckles and pitch forks. I had to take another dose to sleep that night.
The following day was my lesson on Evan again, and though it was not a "terrible" lesson, I was very disappointed with my position once more. Turns out that if you take time off from practicing, your body falls "out of practice." With my stiff lower back and hips, it was hard for me to put my leg in a proper position until I dropped my stirrup irons. We accomplished our goals but at a longer pace than I had hoped. After the hard work I'd previously put into stretching my legs into better positions, I was frustrated to realize how quickly they returned to their old habits.
So now I have returned to stretching my Achilles' tendons, Downward Facing Dog, and regaining suppleness in my joints. I'm working even into my hands to keep them soft and quiet. I'm trying hard to remember that it is not a step backward, but that it's an ongoing process of give and take between mind, body, and horse. Most importantly, I am keeping positive and looking forward to trying my best and doing it better next time!
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