Post by janwilky on Jan 13, 2013 14:56:29 GMT 1
It's a month since the operation to piece my broken face back together, and my boys are still being looked after by Amanda. I'm feeling a lot better, and starting to itch to get back in the saddle. Last weekend Amanda very kindly suggested I have a little sit on her lovely safe mare, Dancer. She's only very recently come back into work after having three foals, but she's taken to it like a pro and she's a much more predictable ride than Lucas so I said Yes Please!
Here is the lovely lady herself (she's an American Paint):
Amanda lunged her first and she was quite bouncy, but as soon as I introduced myself to her she became very quiet and gentle - she knew, she definitely knew she had to be careful around me.
I led her round the school a couple of times and she walked soooo slowly and carefully I ended up in a fit of giggles - I'm not THAT fragile Dancer
. So then I climbed aboard and Amanda and Chris walked on either side of us, just in case I toppled off again 
.
But of course I didn't - I felt perfectly safe and comfortable up there, and I could feel how sensitive and careful Dancer was. Very, very different from riding Lucas who I love dearly but it would never occur to him to look after his rider - that's the rider's job and good luck to you
I felt a bit like a beginner RDA rider
but I was only too glad to be on a lead rein for this first ride, it's still early days. The best thing was I didn't feel nervous and I definitely do want to be riding again ASAP ;D
In the meantime, Dancer's gorgeous foal, Volante, played a game of Mini Me with Lucas outside the school.
They're very similarly marked, and I reckon Lucas thinks he 'might' be Volante's Dad. Poor Lucas, I hadn't the heart to tell him his real Dad is that posh grey with the foreign accent who thinks Lucas is an irritating common cob who lowers the tone of the place ;D. Lucas was very tolerant with the little chap but old man Coco very sensibly stayed well out of the way, preferring the quiet life as usual
But Coco was in for a surprise - he's been looking so well recently that Amanda suggested seeing how he feels about doing a bit of gentle work. He's about 22 and has been retired since long before I acquired him - at least 5 or 6 years. But he's very quiet and sensible and if he's amenable he'd be a very safe pony for me to potter about on while I recover. So Amanda gave him a little lunge to see how he felt about the idea:
He was a bit stiff in the shoulders at first but he soon loosened up and he was a totally cool dude, so Amanda tacked him up to see what he thought about that.
Yeah right, big deal, are you going to get on with it or what?! So up went Amanda's lightweight rider and he walked and trotted around the arena as though he does it every day.
He looked really proud of himself afterwards ;D . I don't know how much he'll be able to do, but I'm so happy that he's well enough to even contemplate riding again, and maybe a little gentle work will help keep him flexible.
Lucas, however, was LIVID at seeing Coco getting so much attention!
Here is the lovely lady herself (she's an American Paint):
Amanda lunged her first and she was quite bouncy, but as soon as I introduced myself to her she became very quiet and gentle - she knew, she definitely knew she had to be careful around me.
I led her round the school a couple of times and she walked soooo slowly and carefully I ended up in a fit of giggles - I'm not THAT fragile Dancer
. So then I climbed aboard and Amanda and Chris walked on either side of us, just in case I toppled off again 
.But of course I didn't - I felt perfectly safe and comfortable up there, and I could feel how sensitive and careful Dancer was. Very, very different from riding Lucas who I love dearly but it would never occur to him to look after his rider - that's the rider's job and good luck to you
I felt a bit like a beginner RDA rider
but I was only too glad to be on a lead rein for this first ride, it's still early days. The best thing was I didn't feel nervous and I definitely do want to be riding again ASAP ;DIn the meantime, Dancer's gorgeous foal, Volante, played a game of Mini Me with Lucas outside the school.
They're very similarly marked, and I reckon Lucas thinks he 'might' be Volante's Dad. Poor Lucas, I hadn't the heart to tell him his real Dad is that posh grey with the foreign accent who thinks Lucas is an irritating common cob who lowers the tone of the place ;D. Lucas was very tolerant with the little chap but old man Coco very sensibly stayed well out of the way, preferring the quiet life as usual
But Coco was in for a surprise - he's been looking so well recently that Amanda suggested seeing how he feels about doing a bit of gentle work. He's about 22 and has been retired since long before I acquired him - at least 5 or 6 years. But he's very quiet and sensible and if he's amenable he'd be a very safe pony for me to potter about on while I recover. So Amanda gave him a little lunge to see how he felt about the idea:
He was a bit stiff in the shoulders at first but he soon loosened up and he was a totally cool dude, so Amanda tacked him up to see what he thought about that.
Yeah right, big deal, are you going to get on with it or what?! So up went Amanda's lightweight rider and he walked and trotted around the arena as though he does it every day.
He looked really proud of himself afterwards ;D . I don't know how much he'll be able to do, but I'm so happy that he's well enough to even contemplate riding again, and maybe a little gentle work will help keep him flexible.
Lucas, however, was LIVID at seeing Coco getting so much attention!
