I haven’t had a riding lesson in ages. Since I am trying to learn (and failing) an interweb dressage test, I have found there are a few technical hitches, like stopping at X so I asked Bjørn, our friendly local FEIF Level 3 trainer, for some help.
He said I had to practice walking, which I can do. Often. Also, I need to do things slowly, which we can’t do because Haakon has never done anything slowly. Slow is not a speed he knows. Horse riding is the only time in the day (and night) when my back doesn’t hurt and I can forget about my ankle. I only have 5 weeks and then all this is gone again.
Bum.
Then Daisy had a lesson on Klængur. He has changed so much this year. There was no instant-fix, just time and listening to him. The journey was a very big deal in his head. Less so for everyone else.
Now he is relaxed and chilled in his environment, apart from when there is lightning but that is legit as we are all afraid of lightning.
Daisy seems to have a very good relationship with him. Another horse I have lost to her.
For the first time we saw his sense of humour. After his tack had been taken off, Klængur played “picking up the cone and putting it down”. I’ve never seen him do this before and it is lovely to see him have a giggle with himself.
Meanwhile, we have been working on Loki’s not-running-away skills. It is hot so I like to leave the doors open but not at the detriment of losing dogs to the hill. That is not happening. Loki has worked this out and stays around the house happily, though I don’t quite trust him yet so I often have to go outside to check he is still with us.
BeAnne of course is always here but this is her job, forever. Perfect treasure.
lovely post Frances thanks for sharing with us
Lovely to see you in the saddle and happy 🙂 I am also happily counting down the days til Saturday and our turn to come up to Vidlin. If I see you out and about when we are up I will give you a wave 😉
Glad to see you back on a horse. Really wish doctors would listen more closely to us, like what is it about riding that makes your back feel better? The posture? The movement? The horse?
Good luck with Loki, he seems to be settling in. And sorry that Daisy is your Horse Whisperer/heart stealer.
But at least it is still in the family!
Glad to see you riding again. I understand how much it means. I recently returned to the saddle after a decade-long health hiatus. Ya know, there are some doctors here in the states, especially in southern horse country, who recommend people with cranky backs ride smooth gaited horses, like Icelandics. Enjoy your riding again for as long and as often as possible, then do “what you gotta do” and then heal up so you can saddle up again.