Back in the (literal) saddle again

When I got to the barn on Sunday, I was feeling relaxed and confident. I went into the feed room to look at the horse assignment board and had to do a bit of searching for my initials, because G had been ridden at 9 am -- I finally found them down at the bottom, next to Skylar's name. 

For a split second, I found myself feeling nervous -- Skylar doesn't go in a surcingle, which meant I'd have to ride in a saddle for the first time in months. It was so strange to feel that way!

This is a little dramatic, but I was definitely nervous about how it would go!

I gathered his brushes, bridle, and girth and headed to his stall to groom him. I found him napping, so I went to the arena to ask T if Eli's saddle (which she had told me I could use on Skylar because the seat is a bit bigger for my butt) was being used or if I should grab a different one. She said Eli's hunt saddle is out being repaired, but Skylar's is by where his bridle hangs and I can use that one. By the time I got back with the saddle, Skylar was standing up, covered in hay, but looking alert. 

I brushed him and de-hayed his mane and tail before booting him up and taking him out for his pre-ride drink at the water trough. When he was done drinking, I threw him back in his stall to chill and went back to the arena to watch the lesson before me for a while (it was WAY too hot to saddle him early). 

The lesson before me was great -- T had her focusing on a lot of counter bending in serpentines and circles, so having to change her body's direction to help the horse balance around the turns while bending in the opposite direction. It was intense for me, and I wasn't even riding it!

Finally, with about 20 minutes before my ride, I headed back to Skylar's stall to tack him up. I mounted a few minutes early (after exclaiming, I hope I remember how to get on!) and did my 2 laps of 2-point while T finished up with the person before me. When I stopped in front of her, she asked what I wanted to work on, and I said, well, I think checking in to see if everything we've been working on in the surcingle sticks now that I'm back in a saddle. She grinned and clapped her hands -- apparently that was the answer she was looking for!

She sent me off to walk on the box, and threw in some long and short diagonal lines and circles during the warm-up. All of that went extremely well, like, I was shocked at how well it went. Some of it may be that I find Skylar to be a lot more "malleable" than G, who kind of demands you ask the right way. Anyway, she told me when I was ready to pick up a posting trot. I got the wrong diagonal but felt it within 1 stride and changed it. We did more figures and circles with a walk break in between -- and it just felt so good. 

You mean I can still ride? Holy crap!

Before we cantered, she reminded me to lift my hands and SIT to ask. Of course, I tipped forward, which caused Skylar to fall more on his front end. She had me lift my hands more, get him back to where I was ready, and ask again and BOOM. Crisp, clean transition. We changed directions, I had 1 bad attempt to the left, so she told me to halt and back him up. Then I walked a few steps to get my body back to where it needed to be, and asked -- instant, perfect transition. I struggling a bit with keeping him out this direction (we need to figure out that seat bone issue!) and he broke on me when I got comfortable and took my leg off. I collected him again and asked again, and got another perfect transition. She and the 2 people watching clapped!

After letting him catch his breath again, she asked if I wanted to do a shoulder in -- she had been trying to explain it to the 2 watching, but they were having trouble visualizing it. I said, sure! It's been a few years since I've asked for one, though. She said no problem, and walked me through where to put my hands and legs, and how it should feel. It took us about half the arena to stop leg yielding, since I had to figure out the right balance of outside rein to get him to stop going sideways and keep going forward, but once he understood I didn't want a leg yield, it got a lot better! We did it pretty nicely in the opposite direction, too. And, then, to throw me for a loop, she had me do it up and back on a counter bend!

All in all, it was a really great lesson and I am SO HAPPY that everything we've been working on is really sticking in my brain and my body. I am supposed to tell her tomorrow whether I want to ride surcingle or saddle on Sunday and it's a seriously tough decision! I did tell her I would love to try G in a saddle again and see if what we've been working on sticks with him, since I struggled so much on him the 2 times I rode him in tack -- but I do really love him in the surcingle!