Good news and good news

On Friday, I got an email about lessons starting again on Saturday. As soon as I read it, I texted T to see if I could get on the schedule for Sunday (I had a Freudian slip there and typed Sundyay, which I think is accurate!). We agreed on 11:45 and I started counting down the minutes. 

I got to the barn on Sunday and saw my name next to Skylar. I was grateful that she made the decision of saddle vs surcingle for me! Sky seemed happy to see me until I started bringing his stuff out and then he started sulking. It was an act, though, he was definitely happy to get out and work.

Good news #1: 
The issues we were working on before the 5-week stay-at-home hiatus are the same.

It was a great ride, with lots of focus on feeling my left seat bone and not clamping with my right leg. These things go hand in hand (leg in leg?) and I just have to reorient my GPS again.

At the end of my lesson, M asked me if I wanted to walk down the driveway with her and her horse, so we went for a lovely hack down the driveway, to the edge of the property and Skylar never put a hoof wrong. 

I'm still sore today, but it's glorious to feel these muscles again!

After I finished tucking Skylar in for the afternoon, and feeding Benji for T so they could both go out, she asked if i wanted to talk about lease options (I replied to an email during the SAH orders saying I was interested!). So, I waited until she gave her lesson a walk break and she asked what I was looking for. I said, well, I would like to add 1 ride a week, and I know the price sheet I got says the leases start at 2 days a week but I know it's at least slightly negotiable. I also said, I don't expect to ride Tosh every Sunday by any means, but I would love to still have the ability to ride him in the surcingle on occasion, too, because he's helped me so much. But, I'm not sure how all that would work.

She then asked if I what I was thinking regarding lessons and when I would want to start leasing, so I told her keep my private lesson on Sunday and add a group lesson on Tuesday (which she said gives me wiggle room to add a ride at the end of the week, if work gets crazy and I can't get there for the Tuesday group) and start in June. 

Good news #2: 

Starting in June, I will be leasing Tosh on Sundays and Skylar on Tuesdays! Basically, this just means I am guaranteed the ride on that horse at 2 rides per week. Also, I am responsible for their stall, hay, water, etc on those days in exchange for the discounted, monthly lesson fee. When lessons are not happening, it is a hack ride plus the care. 

It also means I can alternate between saddles for my group lesson on Tuesdays and surcingle or saddle for my private lesson on Sundays, and that I get different challenges from each ride. Skylar is a Steady Eddie type of guy, but he can be goofy (he spooked at a pallet he had already walked by 3 times on Sunday) and he makes you work. You can't take your leg off and expect him to keep going, because he definitely will stop. So, he's going to demand a bit more of a physical ride from me, where Tosh demands finesse. Also, he is the better choice for me to possibly get back into jumping and see if I even want to jump anymore. I think I do, but I am certainly not ready to jump on a hot/super sensitive horse like Tosh! T says if I get to a point where Skylar isn't challenging enough, we can reevaluate.