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[Horse-girl123]

Aw Hano
*Huggles* Sorry to hear you've had a bad lesson.

Still haven't been riding...
Haven't seen Lemon since October...
*Sigh* Going through major withdraws

[gam]

Awesome about your presents, Dolphin! I hope that you can lease this summer. (:



Yesterday's lesson was... bad. It was bad. I almost cried, actually. xDD It's a LONG story, though

Thanks very much. I was very pleased with my horsie presents this year Me too :3

Aww really? That must have been terrible if you almost cried D'x Is everything okay? What happened? (If you don't mind telling me).

Thanks, guys. :C


Well... this is going to be long, so prepare yourselves.
I ride in a group lesson with a girl a year older than me. She has been riding for about 3 more years than I have, but I'm at her level. I was even above her level. I'll call her "Tracy" xD. Tracy has always gotten pretty much everything she wanted, being rich and all - she is a nice person, but sometimes it hurts to see someone that isn't half as devoted as you are to horseback riding getting everything. So, Tracy and I have been riding together for over a year. At first she was riding more often than me, but then I started taking 2 lessons a week way back when, so we were equal. This past summer we both leased. And starting this school year, we went back to 2 lessons a week, until I used my work hours (I work a lot at the barn. 7.5 hours is a free private lesson!) and some babysitting money to start taking a third private lesson a week. Tracy noticed that I was doing this, so her dad just got her 2 extra lessons. >< Now besides our group, she has 3 private lessons a week! Which I understand that she can afford and all...
But anyway - the point really is that all my riding life I've worked extremely hard to be at the same level as the people my age and older than me. Right now I'm 14 and have been riding for almost 5 years... I'm at the same level as people that are 17 and have been riding since they were 5, no joke. I push myself to my limit and I'm always extremely hard on myself, so I learn and progress quickly. I've managed to stay with the other people my age and above my age with less riding... but now I'm having troubles keeping up with Tracy. She just got a fancy new horse and takes 4 lessons a week, sometimes 5, and can hack all the time. I'm happy for her, but she isn't that devoted to the barn OR her horse - given the opportunity, she'd choose a party over riding her horse, if you know what I mean. I don't mind being below her... but part of me does, and I DON'T EVEN KNOW RIGHT NOW. ;_; I just have all of these feelings about riding and myself just building up. I know that I sound like a spoiled brat, but I just feel... I don't know how to even say it. ><
Now onto the lesson. Sooo I was riding Willow as usual and Tracy was on her horse. Willow was really fresh and really stiff - at the same time - when Tracy's horse is oh so perfect. But I would rather have Willow than him, I enjoy the challenge... I know that he is fairly simple to ride because the trainers and Tracy say so. We warmed up, but Willow wasn't softening and was trying to buck and such, and so I didn't have to deal with her today (I did for most of the lesson though) my trainer hopped on. Willow did a little rear with her and was generally naughty, so my trainer worked her for some time. She went to do the brick wall line but Willow ran out on the first jump, My trainer got her over but she was taking really weird distances and such, but my trainer says that it'll teach her to be more correct by understanding how uncomfortable the wrong thing is. Then I got on, and we started with a course... Tracy's course went fairly well, and then I went. It was just a warmup thingy, so it was canter to the X on the quarter line, and trot the line of brick walls on the diagonal (they are each about 2 foot high and about 4 feet long, with no standards). The X went wonderfully, but afterwards, Willow was trying to run away from me (I KNOW how to handle this - don't go lecturing me, please ), but I got her under control, and brought her to the bricks... she ran out, which was probably because I was nervous after seeing what she did to my trainer, but I got her over... the line was kinda sucky, though, I chipped in at the last jump, and I cut the corner afterwards. On the wrong lead. ><
This is something that you need to know about this horse - she doesn't. Slow. Down.. You have to squeeze her with your legs and push her into your hand, but then she tries to run away from it, so you take, take, give... it's a difficult balance.
So. I went again and again, but my bricks consistently suck. Willow is now TRYING to run out - She literally lept SIDEWAYS when we were going over the jump to get away, but I kicked her back and she knocked the whole thing over. Willow is a VERY big horse, and we have a VERY small arena, so it is hard to fit things in comfortably with her. Tracy's horse is small, so she had no problem.
Now, I'm fine with lessons that don't go my way, because I always get over it. I had one great line at the very end of my lesson, I got her to stop in a straight line after a lovely line of bricks.
But what bothered me was Tracy. She looked at me like I didn't know a thing, and she probably thinks that Willow is an easy ride even hough she has never ridden her. Just because Willow is 15 doesn't mean she won't be freakin' difficult.
And then my trainer raised the jump for her, and the smirk on her face was enough to make me want to cry. I've jumped bigger than that with Willow, but only in private lessons, and I think that Tracy thought... I don't even know, I'm just so confused right now. ><


I'll be showing against her on the 21st and 22nd - and I plan on winning. I need to win - I want to prove myself to her so badly that it hurts. I want to prove myself to everyone at my barn. I may have less than they do, but I sure do care a lot, and even though I guess it isn't right to want to win so badly, I do. ><
I probably don't have a chance. Her 4-5 lessons a week compared to my 3... her nicer horse (I love Willow so much, though, but she isn' a 20,000 horse)... But I want this so badly. I want to prove myself.


Ug. I'm just pretty confused right now.

You
don't
have
to
prove
yourself.

IF their worth any of your time, they would KNOW how devoted you are. And if that isn't enough for them, screw them. You know you're a good rider, and that's all hat matters.
I get funny looks from people sometimes. Like when we're doing a stirrupless lesson and we [me and my friend] have to go get our stirrups because our horses were shying and bucking, but still we get those looks, like "you guys don't know what you're doing..." but I ignore them. They're not worth it. Don't let people like that get to you. They don't know any better.All their lives they've been better then everyone, and she probably doesn't know how to respond to someone being better. But being better than someone else shouldn't matter anyway. Being overly competitive can be dangerous in some pretty weird ways. You should know you're being the best you can be and that's all that matters. It sounds like you just need to relax and relieve some of the pressure you're putting on yourself. When you're older and kicking butt you're not gonna give a crap about tracy who will probably be right where you left her.

[scene_kid]

@hanno .All I can suggest is offer to ride other peoples horses. I am an instructor but I ent gunna lecture you about riding. I used to ride other peoples horses even when i wasn't an instructor because I rode literally about 8 times a year only 3/4 of those being lessons. So the year after I offered to ride about 6 different horses and ended up riding a bronc but after the regular exercise he got from me he was a dream. Now I own him XD. I rode him every other day at the start and now he just gets one day off and a relaxing walking hack day all the rest is re-schooling. (he was beaten with a whip, but want to teach new school moves that are much easier with a whip). So you can ride more just got to hunt for it.

[classi]

*Growls* Hano, Tracy is a jerk. A spoiled brat jerk. I'll bet that you will win against her in the show. If she went on Willow, and you went on her fancy horse, you'd probably do ten times better than she can dream of. Don't let people like that make you feel like you're a bad rider. Luckily, I don't have anyone like that at my barn. I'm very proud of myself, because like you, I'm almost the same level as girls who have been riding for 5-6 years, and I've only been riding for two. But I know I still have so much to learn, and I need to learn how to slow Winnie down from the canter. But, Hano, you're an epic person. You're nice, and I'm sure you're a great rider. As long as your trainer feels that you're doing good, then be happy. ;D

[burtleyy]

OMG! My mom just found this pretty gelding. He's handsome! She called about the price, and if it's well, we'll go look at him. But he's a warmblood cross at 11 years. Perfect! She had someone reccomend him for her.

[sam sam]

Rowdy, you can tell Doc likes roping more than speed events. He licks his lips when roping more than in speed events, and usually he's a lot faster when roping.

If only I could get him to gallop after a barrel like it were a cow...if only.

EDIT:: Hano, I just read your whole post {took me like 15 minutes, thanks to me ADHD...anyhow} and you know how you said that even though Willow is 15 she is a tough ride? I know exactly what you mean! Doc, at age 18, ag=fter bucking me off, receiving a half-hour no no session, still was bucking. I know exactly what you mean!

Don't let "Tracy" get to you! You have come so far, and I'm sure she's just sitting there while the horse is doing everything. If I knew her, I would punch her for you. Right. In. The. Nose. <3

[Hanoverian]

First of all, I'd like to thank you guys for reading my rant. xD It is really nice to know that at least SOMEONE listens - my mom just tells me that life isn't fair. Which I know that it isn't - she doesn't need to tell me that.


@Smile: Glad to know that I'm not the only one. Feels like that sometimes.

@Rowdy: You don't seem snobby at all! Hm, I might just try that. (: Poor Willow has mild arthritis, but I plan on using some Christmas money to get her some supplements from Smartpack.

@Dolphin: That she is, often. She can be nice- but then again, she can be a spoiled brat. I REALLY want to beat her. xD I've never been competitive against anyone but myself, but I want to smush her rich little butt into the dust.
I'm glad that you had such a nice lesson! How big is Bubbles? I love bounces. <3 Bending lines can be difficult, I understand that. Don't feel bad if one thing goes wrong - so many other things have gone RIGHT (I honestly need to keep that as my montra - unfortunately, I'm not good at my own confidence xD). Yay! I love getting compliments, and you must as well, haha.

@Horse_Girl: Thanks. C: I'm sorry to hear that you haven't been able to see the Lemon Man for so long! Are you still sick? D: I hope that you feel better soon. Maybe this illness is just horse withdraw - one trip to the barn and you will be all better!

@Yankee: I know that I don't, and my sensible side doesn't want to, but my angry, competitive, resentful side wants to whip their butts. I'm so confused right now, thinking is hard. They do know how devoted I am, but I think... oh, I don't even know anymore.
Oh, those people sound horrible. >< I hate it when people judge.
I know, this is so strange for me - I'm usually never competitive/assertive... I let people have their way, and therefor, I'm used as a doormat a lot. I just can't TAKE it anymore - I'm tired of being taken advantage of. ><
But your advice is great - you should totally be a motivational speaker. I need to relax and stop being so hard on myself - my trainer even says that that holds me back sometimes. ><

@Scene: Hm, that is a good idea, but that really doesn't work around here. At my barn, everyone rides their own horse, and no one else.. I ride most of the lesson horses, Willow mostly, though. I would love to find some free rides, but honestly, that isn't really possible around here. xD

@Rain: Thanks, but I'm not sure if I can win. D: Yeah, I don't think that she could deal with my little Willis and all of her antics. >< Yes, you ARE lucky. xD I love that feeling, of being equal to the people that have more experience. You seem like such a devoted person in your riding, so I'm sure that you'll progress fast. <3 I can give you some tips on slowing down - Willow has taught me quite a few, even though I'm still working out the kinks. Awww, thanks. <3

@Sam Sam: Haha, sorry, it was kind of rambly... Oh, good - finally someone gets that sometimes an 'oldie' can give you more crap than a greenie. I used to ride a 6 year old who gave me a lot less trouble than Willow does (I love her to death, though.)

Aww, I wish that you knew her! xD

[|iris|]

I found a video of Ari and his old owner. xD The parts with him in it show his stubborness. He's a little rockstar <3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBBLzJWb9Ps
Check it out!

[spaceferrari]

I get to back to camp this year! <3
Camp is like a second home to me. It's a Western/Christian ranch, on 500 acres of land in sunny Maryland. I didn't get to go last year, which tore me apart. I'd been going for six years before. But I get to go back to Horsemanship again this summer! I'm so excited. Two years ago I was lucky enough to be assigned the biggest horse there, Roy. He's a quarter horse/percheron cross, the tall dark and handsome type- over 16 hands, all black with a left hind sock and a star.
In the cabin I'm in, we go out on the trails occasionally, but for the most part we practice pole bending and, my favorite, team penning. I have to switch horses for penning, as Roy is a big sissy and doesn't like the cows, but it's a lot of fun to let my horse get up to speed chasing a little steer. Freckles, an appaloosa, is very comfy to ride, and Wilson, another appy, is very quick.
Then there's Senator. He's a buckskin quarter horse, not very old and has lovely ground manners.
But is he ever SLOW.
He has two speeds: Off and Low. His maximum is about two strides an hour and he is the LAZIEST creature on the face of the Earth. I pity whoever is assigned him.
But anyway, at the end of the week, we get to present our horses at a miniature "rodeo" in the arena, herding cows and racing around poles. All in all it's a ton of fun and I always hate to leave.

If anyone wants to learn more about this camp, just shoot me a PM and I'll give you the link to their website. ^^

[Hoofbeats]

Well. Today was interesting.
I took Cherry Bomb out for a ride, just to exercise her. And apparantly she spooks. Real easy -.-. One of our cats jumped out from the brush onto our path, and Cherry freaked OUT. She reared on me and I went crashing right off her. Bummed up my tail bone real good might I add, so when I of course screamed like a little girl she got even more scared and took off. I sat there for a minute, and Malachy came storming over, because he thought I was hurt xD. - Never seen that man run so fast in my life. - We ended up chasing Cherry Bomb through our little woods we got at the back of our house, and with me complaining about my butt the entire time xD. I'm lucky I didn't hit my head.. I wasn't wearing a helmet o3o.
I learned a lesson today.
Don't let the cat near the horse.

Never scream when you have a spooked horse, just like what you said, she just took off.
Never scream, just try to calm yourself down by taking 10 deep breaths in and out.
Also you should ALWAYS wear a helmet no matter how well trained that horse is, accidents can still happen.