Back in the Saddle - English that is - again.

I hadn't been in an English saddle since I was 9. That's a very long time, in case you are wondering. A very, very, very long time. 


As my goal is to ultimately do dressage, I made the decision on my way to the stable Monday that I would try riding English. Kelly, my riding instructor, was very supportive of my idea.


Forgetting just how many parts there are to an English saddle, I was a little intimidated when I was tacking up Jessie. Once in the arena, I recalled how comfortable riding English is and decided that I will ride this way from now on. We didn't do much on Monday, which was good because this hip injury I sustained was still problematic. We mostly walked, with me just getting the feel of the saddle again.


Kelly gave me many tips and some of them came back just like I had never been away from English riding. Had a great time and was pleased that I had no pain on Tuesday morning. Was wondering if this could be due to the shift from Western to English. That quickly changed after clogging practice on Tuesday. The repetitive movement of clogging is not good for this hip. 


One of the horses at the stable, GQ, has a terrible allergy to flies. He had fly larvae in his eyes and on his nose. This condition was giving him tremendous problems. I watched Kelly, who is the stable's resident "para-vet," remove them, flush the wounds with wormer and apply other medicines. She was amazing. GQ was such a brave boy when Kelly was doing all of this. Most horses would have flipped themselves over, but GQ stood there, pulling his head away occasionally, but for the most part, letting her take care of him. 


I love GQ. He was abused by not only his first owner, but also by a second. He is a lesson horse. I am going to ask Kelly if I can start riding GQ. He is a very sweet horse. I feel so sorry for him, but he has a very good home at the Knicker Knob Stable.


Onward, back in the English saddle again!