Success

Well I woke up very apprehensive about today's riding lesson. Last week I couldn't get to grips with canter at all. Trotting was fine, but canter - nooooooo. So I arrived at the yard full of nerves, I just wanted to ride well.

Bev had decided that I'd ride Lara today - I love that horse. She is bouncy in trot, much more bouncy than Murphy, but it seems to suit me. Even sitting trot on her is really comfy. Bev had us doing all sorts of trotting, including her own invention : 10-1 trot. This is doing each of the four trots (rising, sitting, standing and light-seat) for 10 counts each, then 9, then 8 and so on down to one beat of each. Absolutely knackering. And yes, I did say standing trot. Now standing trot was a challenge, but as I went through the reps my balance slowly came and by then end I was (fairly) comfortably doing it all (with just a few collapses back into the saddle as my core strength is non-existent).

Then straight into a right rein canter - no time to think - and she is so very comfy in canter. The canter didn't last long before we went to trot, and I found out that her downward transitions are pretty immediate. So position and balance are crucial. Left rein canter was fab - 3 maybe 4 laps of the school. So pleased.

Lara is a star.

So my next lesson is next Wednesday, and Bev has said that if the weather is ok we will hack out for a long straight canter, and in a Western saddle. Yay...