Lesson #7

Recounting the events of last week..

Oh boy... I have been on a roll for the past week. I got a nasty cold. Fever, congestion, even body aches. Stubbed my pinky toe on the coffee table o walk by every day. I have hurt both my big toes, one I dropped something right on the joint which then was purpled for a few days, the other one got stepped on by a Clydesdale and honestly I’m surprised it didn’t break! And then today I fell off in my lesson. And landed... in a pile of ants...

Fortunately I am ok. None of these things were terrible and I don’t have any injuries. Or at least anything serious.

My lesson day started with me waking up 30 minutes late. Never a good sign. I hurried and got ready. Still on time though. I wasn’t hungry so I didn’t have breakfast. Also a bad sign if you know how much I normally eat. 

Got to the barn and started grooming. My instructor texted and asked if she seemed “wild”? Nope, she was her lovable, needy self. 

On we get and all was fine. They were working on the driveway but no outburst about that. Just a few looks. We finished warming up and I was in two-point detention. I have always struggled to get my weight in my heals so today it was two pointing 24/7 even to take my hoodie off haha. Honestly I’m totally fine with it because I WANT to improve. I’m tired of being mediocre at best. I want to be able really ride. Not just survive in a saddle. *caughs* ok maybe not even that lol.

Anyways we started trotting some ground poles and after one time the lesson mare decided she needed to zoom a little after. She got in a few strides but I managed to bring her back to a trot and circle back.

All seemed to go fine. I thought that was her spurt for the day.

Wrong.

Dead wrong *laughs internally*

Off she went. And one of my stirrups too. *fantastic* I was surprised I was staying on so well. But also who want to come off. I really wanted to stay on. But unfortunately I wasn’t skilled or strong enough to calm her down and she escalated and I got really tired. Well more like nauseas. Not eating breakfast came back to bite me in the form of low blood sugar during a massive bolt. 

Now if you know me, you know I have a phobia of throwing up. So at this point I was dizzy and nauseous from all this hard work of staying on. I mean we’ve been bolting around this giant area for what felt like forever. 

After a few totally unexpected falls I’ve learned those hurt the worst and that if I, dare I say, jump I tend to have more control and not get hurt as bad.

It was jump or throw up and pass out. 

Jump it was. 

Except my timing was off. I thought I had more time but too late we were by the fence when I was jumping/tumbling off.

Matt says he heard something hit the fence. But I don’t recall feeling any fence lol. I landed in a nice little wallow of more solid sand between the cushy footing and the fence. I fit perfectly in that wallow. And the ground was nice and cool. My body temperature spikes when my blood sugar gets to low so it was comforting. I had the presence of mind to lay there for a bit. That’s a good sign though. When I get up right after it’s usually bad.

I got the wind knocked out of me pretty decently which made me sound like a dying frog with my congestion. So elegant........ *rolls eyes*

Matt came over as I started laughing at my pathetic state. And then he realized “Gaby you’re covered in ants”. By the way I’m allergic to red ants. I don’t know I wasn’t stung!

I was totally prepared to be yelled at for what I did wrong, how I should of handled it better, and what to never do again. 

But my instructor and her boss and the entire staff were all very nice and concerned and calm about it. I will forever be grateful they didn’t make me feel like more of an idiot than I already did.

The head instructor got on the mare and schooled her and then I was allowed back on to get comfortable again and trot over the poles again before cooling her out.

I know that’s a long story and believe me there is always more details but I tried to keep it brief.

By biggest take always from the day are ALWAYS eat breakfast before activity even if you’re not hungry and my heel is capable of going down as far as I want but I have to be diligent in a proper two point