tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22864821319418462242024-03-13T18:15:48.923-07:00 The Gallop To GreatnessIt Always Seems Impossible Until It's DoneGabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-87860580795689769312020-11-09T15:35:00.002-08:002020-11-09T15:35:40.538-08:00An Introduction to Riding Essentials on a Budget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgdlZjs3owdhGYQpZDzbQGy1s6coHS-qWLOdOb8vTkXR_OuRF6gm9nQIinkoku2GdveAgubrZ314awtDFw9PMAaL3u_aJ_FnTQpScQPBEidSBCCWSuSfc7ATkgtMr6blKuFM7WvOPxXs/s2048/cover24+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgdlZjs3owdhGYQpZDzbQGy1s6coHS-qWLOdOb8vTkXR_OuRF6gm9nQIinkoku2GdveAgubrZ314awtDFw9PMAaL3u_aJ_FnTQpScQPBEidSBCCWSuSfc7ATkgtMr6blKuFM7WvOPxXs/w360-h640/cover24+1.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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"Riding is expensive!" We hear that all the time. We say it all the time. We all know how expensive this highly addictive passion of ours is... But we don't let that stop us! Even if we're not exactly in a good spot financially.<br />
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Growing up I had to learn to stretch every dollar as far as I could. Well my parents did actually. I would wear my paddock boots till they disintegrated. My helmet was those ugly shiny plastic ones with foam inside. I only had two pairs of schooling tights despite riding every day and I saved for 4 months to buy my first pair of half chaps. At one point I even wore rubber tall boots that were to short for me for a while. I may not be proud of my "look" in photos from back then but I am proud of the lessons I've learned from it. I may have a little more financial freedom now but I still like to <b><i>spend wisely.</i></b><br />
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Whether you NEED to keep things frugal in order to survive or you just like saving money where you can here are some of my top tips for budget friendly riding essentials.<br />
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<li>Look for value!</li>
<li>Don't be afraid to buy second hand.</li>
<li>Do a dupe.</li>
<li>Make use of sales and coupons.</li>
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When I say look for <b>value</b> I don't mean picking the cheapest option. I can testify that you<i> usually </i>get what you pay for. But I don't mean finding the best materials and most high tech options either. It's not always necessary. By <i>value</i> I mean the best bang for your buck. Especially when it comes to durability like with gloves and boots. Don't get something loosely stitched or where you can see the glue. It won't last. Spend a few bucks extra for the next step up.</div>
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But if your concern is mostly style for example if your in the market for a Helmet be sure to get one that is ASTM certified. Helmets can range from about $45.00 to $1,500 give or take. Granted you want to find something that fits, is light, comfortable, and flattering. But you don't need to spend $500.00 to fit that criteria. However I can understand not wanting to look unprofessional in a run of the mill low end cheapie helmet either. There are tons of helmets out there that are in the midrange price that get the job done but still look classy.</div>
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<b>Buying second hand</b> is nothing to be too ashamed or apprehensive to do.<i> (Please don't buy a helmet second hand though!) </i>And sometimes its all you can do when you need something specific that is a pricey item such as a saddle. It's also a great option if you want to boost your collection of something you use everyday like schooling breeches. </div>
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But where does one find second hand riding gear you may ask... </div>
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There are lots of options. You could join Equestrian Facebook groups that buy and sell riding gear. I have found good deals on Instagram too. Ebay is an option too. But there are quite a few equestrian websites dedicated to buying and selling equestrian gear specifically! As always use a secure payment method such a paypal.</div>
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But if you can't find a deal that suits you or you prefer to buy something new <b>do a dupe!</b> Seriously. Lots of "generic" or in house brands do some pretty nice dupes of higher end pricier stuff. Again make sure its good quality. But I have some generic dupe breeches that have held up for 5+ years!</div>
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Whether you choose to do a dupe or splurge on the real deal <b>always watch out for sales and make use of coupons</b>! Just about every tack store large or small has a newsletter you can sign up for to receive all the sale adds and coupon/promo codes. I know its a pain to get bombarded with emails but if you have to, make an email account just for these because they can save you $$$. I usually wait till blankets go on sale and then use a promo code on top of that so I can get the best deal possible on what I need.</div>
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And there you have it! My introduction to buying on a budget. </div>
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Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-51854213186588258272019-12-15T14:15:00.001-08:002019-12-15T19:13:27.317-08:00Updated Equestrian Skincare Routine on a Budget!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow, it’s really been TWO YEARS since my last skincare post! Holy cow.. Well here’s to the ole adage “Better late than never!”. </div>
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So to be completely honest I had to reread my old post because I completely forgot about what I said. <span style="font-style: italic;">Nervous smiles</span>. So where did I leave off?</div>
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The first post was on point. You can read it <span style="font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://thegalloptogreatness.blogspot.com/2017/09/equestrian-skin-care-on-budget.html" target="_blank">here</a></span>. And honestly it’s sad how off the bandwagon I got. Not because it wasn’t easy but because my face got more sensitive. In fact, my whole body did. Back in March my eye blew up!</div>
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And then in August my whole body had HORRIBLE hives for 5 days!! Not even prednisone + Benadryl got rid of em. They were EVERYWHERE! Scalp, face, back, butt, arms, arm pits, thighs, knees, wrists. But don't worry I won't show most of it.<br />
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My face...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many arm flares. And below are some of the leg flares.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strangely they never went down past my knees.</td></tr>
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Even though we never found out why this all happened. <span style="font-style: italic;">But not for lack of trying</span>. Doctors ran several tests and say I’m a picture of health! Nonetheless I was terrified of putting anything on my skin. Especially since it remained itchy and sensitive for an additional month.<br />
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<b><i>If you have had a similar experience please comment and share your story!</i></b></div>
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While taking a hiatus from most skin products my skin DID suffer.. But that’s why I’m here again! To regain some measure of self confidence lol</div>
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However THIS time I found even better resources! </div>
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Actual... (<span style="font-style: italic;">drumroll please</span>) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dermatologists!!</span></div>
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No I haven’t been to one yet. Why? Because I’m a baby. I do plan on going to one eventually though. However if you too are a weenie about being poked and prodded by a stranger or simply can’t afford it there are some great resources out there for general knowledge. Quite a few <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> dermatologists actually make high quality content YouTube videos. Here are the ones I’ve found so far:</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnxmUrGMtpQT844Yd_l7Zyg" target="_blank">Dr Dray</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9SIYzAqsCmfHsZrxdPGvzA" target="_blank">Dr Davin Lim</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/drsamshoes" target="_blank">Dr Sam Bunting</a></div>
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If you have more to add to the list <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">PLEEEASE comment!</span></div>
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While their videos certainly back up the general info in my original post on the topic. They also dive deeper. MUCH deeper into the science behind why. They also break down ingredients, products, skin issues, and solutions. While that doesn’t replace actually seeing a dermatologist it can at least point us in the right direction and give us a better understanding.</div>
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Watching their videos has opened my eyes to some of the myths I believed, the truths behind the industry, the science behind an ingredient or mix of them, and how to even better care for my skin. And the best part is that you don't need to spend a fortune to get good skincare products!</div>
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So now for the good stuff. What have I been using?</div>
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First off let it be known I have light skin, that’s on the dry side, moderately prone to irritation and redness, and of course good ole fine lines from all that time working and riding in the sun!</div>
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Also note that ALL of these products except the Your Good Skin 2hr Spot Reduction are available at Walmart AND Target!</div>
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PM</b></div>
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Step one</b> is <a href="https://www.target.com/p/garnier-skin-active-micellar-cleansing-water-13-5-fl-oz/-/A-49109399" target="_blank">Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water</a></h4>
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$6 at Target</h4>
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I like this one because it even gets off waterproof mascara. I just apply it to a cotton pad and wipe my face and neck to remove any makeup, sunscreen, or dirt. I do want to try an oil cleanser but I still have a bottle of Micellar water to finish off first. </div>
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Step two</b> is <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aveeno-Ultra-Calming-Hydrating-Gel-Cleanser-for-Dry-Skin-5-oz/445917960?adid=22222222264426801693&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=b&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74904330799817&wl4=dat-2326704043380979:loc-190&wl5=73078&wl6=&wl7=&wl14=aveeno%20ultra%20calming%20gel%20target&veh=sem&msclkid=a81c944cb4341c8129e8c9ba46e7256e" target="_blank">Aveeno Oatmeal Gel Cleanser</a></h4>
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$7 at Walmart </h4>
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It’s gentle but effective at getting any traces of makeup, sunscreen, or dirt off. Plus I feel like Micellar water leaves something behind and this seems to get rid of that. Once or twice a week I GENTLY exfoliate using this and a little silicone exfoliating pad.</div>
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Note: If I have more than just a few blemishes I will use <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aveeno-Clear-Complexion-Foaming-Facial-Cleanser-with-Soy-6-fl-oz/10801426" target="_blank">Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Wash</a> and let us sit a minute before rinsing.</h4>
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$6 at Walmart</h4>
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<b>
Step 3</b> is <a href="https://www.target.com/p/burt-39-s-bees-renewal-firming-eye-cream-0-5oz/-/A-76153376?sid=2205&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=bing_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Beauty%2BPersonal+Care%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Health%2BBeauty&LID=700000001230728pbs&network=s&device=c&querystring=burt%27s%20bees%20renewal%20eye%20cream&msclkid=c21532ad7d511cd277436f5b8e2dad22&gclid=CMXx3umWueYCFW-VxQIda-UFdQ&gclsrc=ds" target="_blank">Burt’s Bee’s Renewal Eye Cream</a> </h4>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">$15 at Target</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0dt7N7lAKuwrsPK5eEHRU9enST3VnahyaNFzy_5cehyn4zX25vhqitpXwFNn1Xkks2K2PslKPlc5DXSYVVJHsOk-C3psThnIWc24hCvR7H3NxygPX2a7UDN7xI1OxmL98FtELccXDnc/s1600/burts+eye+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="588" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0dt7N7lAKuwrsPK5eEHRU9enST3VnahyaNFzy_5cehyn4zX25vhqitpXwFNn1Xkks2K2PslKPlc5DXSYVVJHsOk-C3psThnIWc24hCvR7H3NxygPX2a7UDN7xI1OxmL98FtELccXDnc/s320/burts+eye+cream.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i><b>First</b></i> I dampen my face and then apply some </span>all over my eye area. Careful not to get it in the eyes. It helps with fine lines and my skin seems to tolerate the natural alternative to retinol/retinoids. </div>
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<b>
Step 4</b> is <a href="https://www.target.com/p/cerave-skin-renewing-retinol-face-cream-serum-for-fine-lines-and-wrinkles-1oz/-/A-16600972" target="_blank">Cereve Renewing Retinol Cream Serum</a></h4>
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$14 at Target</h4>
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I was terrified to try a retinol even though it’s milder than a retinoid because people say it still stings. But this one by Cereve is “Encapsulated” so it should irritate even less. I’m happy to say it DOES NOT irritate me. I love how silky it is. Hopefully this will help with some of the sun damage and aging. <i>Nervous smile.</i></div>
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<i></i><br /></div>
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<b>
Step 5</b> is the <a href="https://www.target.com/p/cerave-skin-renewing-night-cream-to-soften-skin-1-7oz/-/A-16600973" target="_blank">Cereve Renewing Night Cream </a></h4>
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$13 at Target</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWkaoJdTofFM7jGCx9RV204ZVCxxwMWAF01RQ3paMWJ56-9sV2_Oyer0D9OgBY4ZCwgNpiFryHZMGAT0Y0lyDhwNAYPbSp3PH3AotJ6V5DPLAkmieEggzLSenmT-GFiin_6H53MkqXTY/s1600/cereve+night+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="588" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWkaoJdTofFM7jGCx9RV204ZVCxxwMWAF01RQ3paMWJ56-9sV2_Oyer0D9OgBY4ZCwgNpiFryHZMGAT0Y0lyDhwNAYPbSp3PH3AotJ6V5DPLAkmieEggzLSenmT-GFiin_6H53MkqXTY/s320/cereve+night+cream.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This stuff is awesome! You do have to warm it up just a tad on your fingers and then it goes on smooth.<br />
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Note: If I have just a few blemishes I use this <a href="https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/yourgoodskin-acne-clearing-rapid-rescue-treatment/ID=prod6361299-product" target="_blank">Your Good Skin 2hr Spot Reduction</a><br />
$10 at Walgreens<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuR2InpKNL4xq74_eegPTvMukbUJ4UWJH_0O1iLufpIIS5ixjxjOtKKjPc0UdsKBfTUX-i4fry_1aj1cb304GpzSsqf5ee9NB1eBscKyb4D_fqSVFWsWeyVPTG42uzq4z6cecpMgL1E0/s1600/2+hour+spot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuR2InpKNL4xq74_eegPTvMukbUJ4UWJH_0O1iLufpIIS5ixjxjOtKKjPc0UdsKBfTUX-i4fry_1aj1cb304GpzSsqf5ee9NB1eBscKyb4D_fqSVFWsWeyVPTG42uzq4z6cecpMgL1E0/s320/2+hour+spot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And that’s it! 5 steps sounds like a lot but it goes by super quick.</div>
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<b>
AM</b></div>
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<b></b><b></b><br /></div>
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All I do is apply <a href="https://www.cerave.com/skincare/moisturizers/am-facial-moisturizing-lotion-with-sunscreen" target="_blank">Cerave AM Moisturizer with SPF 30</a></h4>
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$14 at Walmart</h4>
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The night cream is so good I never wake up with a dry face so no need for any other moisturizer. After the Cereve AM if I feel like wearing makeup I go ahead and apply it on top.</div>
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<b>I really enjoy playing around with skincare and makeup. Would you all like if I posted more about it?</b></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-81135496470939563252019-12-03T15:06:00.000-08:002019-12-03T15:06:30.683-08:00How I Cope with Feelings of Inadequacy<br />
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It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything. Between work, life, health, and everything in between it really has been a constant mix of ups and downs and running on fumes.</div>
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I haven’t written anything on this blog in months... and when I checked my Instagram I saw my last post was back in September! I used to post at LEAST a few times a week.</div>
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But to be honest I’ve been struggling mentally. I know I’m not alone. How many of you struggle with anxiety and/or depression? It sucks! </div>
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I’ve always felt a bit out of place. And I probably am. But I’ve accepted my awkwardness. Almost proudly. (I<i> suppose</i> it’s a healthy coping mechanism)</div>
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But like any <i>semi</i>-normal human being, deep down, I do wish to belong. I want to feel accepted and respected. And I’m not too proud to admit that. </div>
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I did not grow up with a big support group, showing, taking lots of lessons, and riding fancy horses. Anytime I went to a lesson barn I felt out of place. I wasn’t on their show team. I only took lessons once a week. And even though that’s still a <i><b>massive</b></i> privilege as I grew up I think I started to feel even more like I didn’t <i>fit</i> in. Life is hard. You have to make a living. That takes most of your time and energy. Lessons became nonexistent. At times riding was nonexistent.</div>
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But something inside made me keep going. Made me keep dreaming. Made me hold out when it seemed hopeless. </div>
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My life is a lot better now.</div>
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A few years ago After a year off I leased my friends mare. My confidence was nonexistent. She helped me get some of it back though and I’m very grateful for that. </div>
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After that I worked with a few project horses like <a href="https://thegalloptogreatness.blogspot.com/p/meet.html" target="_blank">Goober and Angus</a> for an old barn owner, and I took monthly lessons from a really great young professional. It was a very enlightening time. It was a privilege to fill in the gaps in my <i>own</i> training.<br />
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Now I work with my bosses ponies and I take bi-weekly lessons at a local barn. I’m finally learning Western! And she has been great at making me feel welcome and helping me gain confidence in all aspects, not just riding. </div>
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I never thought I’d be a pony rider again. I always preferred bigger horses but it works lol. I used to be the designated pony squisher at a few past barns. I’m medium height and a light build so even the 13h one has no issues carrying me. </div>
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Like I said, life has gotten better for me in a lot of ways. I’m very grateful to the people who have some measure of faith in me. I may not be rich by any means but my head is above water and it’s so refreshing! But that mentality of not being good enough still plagues me. </div>
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But I have to keep reminding myself that <u>feelings of inadequacy aren’t the worst enemy to have.</u></div>
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<b>Why?</b></div>
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Because they make me<i> push</i> myself <i>to progress </i>more. </div>
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Some would say “To look forward” and yes that is true but I like to look <i>back</i> too to see what I can improve on.<br />
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Some would say “To push myself harder”. Yes! But I have to <i>balance</i> it out because burnout is a REAL thing and it’s hard to recover from.<br />
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So really it comes down to if I expect to progress I must acquire and maintain a semblance of balance. Kind of like how slow and steady wins the race. Plus progress isn’t linear. Wether it be health, mentality, or riding sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. And that’s OK!</div>
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Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-24501626027853341382019-06-24T19:32:00.000-07:002019-06-24T19:32:58.985-07:00My Experience With Chiropractic Care<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chiropractors...<br />
Some people swear by them. Others may <i>swear</i> more <i>about them.</i><br />
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I first heard of Chiropractors when I was about 10 years old. It was after a car accident my family and I were in. My parents saw a chiropractor for a while because b<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">oth my parents had neck problems from the accident. </span>I remember their first exam. Every inch of their spine was touched. Vertebrae by vertebrae .<br />
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At first the chiropractor also adjusted us kids. But it was only a handful of times. My younger brother, aged 7 at the time found it fascinating how he got our necks to crack. One time he tried to mimic it at home (TERRIBLE IDEA). Thankfully he never tried again after getting a lecture. Most days though my brothers and I just waited in the office watching cartoons while my parents got adjusted.<br />
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After a year or so though and the practice switching hands a few times my parents fell disenchanted with the idea. Although they lacked the appreciation they had at first for it they did return to it once or twice more over the years. We moved many times since the first time I heard of it. I never formed my own opinion of it though. To me it was still a mystery.<br />
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But I always remembered it.<br />
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Years later and many injuries later my mother in-law brought it to the forefront of my attention again. Although she herself was a bit obsessed I did not let that put me off of it. I knew it had done good for my parents in the past. So I watched some videos and did some research. It all seemed very logical. I wondered if it would help me. But I could not afford it at the time.<br />
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A few years later after some job changes and raises my boss brought it to my attention again. She recommended we go to her Chiropractor since my neck would hurt so bad that by 3pm I would have to lay my head on my desk or take an ibuprofen. And at one point I was going through a whole bottle every month just to cope with the pain.<br />
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Months later she comes to me with a special deal her chiropractor was running “GO!” She said.<br />
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So I called and scheduled a consultation for the same week.<br />
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The office, Chiropractor, and staff themselves are all wonderful people. Very nice and very professional. But the point of this post is not to give them a review. But rather, to give you my personal experience with this type of care.<br />
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Since I had been aquatinted with chiropractic care from a young age I did not think of it as any different than seeing your general practitioner. But I quickly got the sense that it had a stigma. Although extremely professional in his manner he kindly made an effort to ease any misconceptions we might of had.<br />
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After explaining my symptoms and possible causes of my issues. Issues like neck pain that I have had since age 12, sciatica since age 14, shooting nerve pain in my toes for the last few years and more. He carefully touched each vertebrae down my spine. One or two in my neck were very tender to the touch as I expected from experience. Anytime anyone touched my neck or shoulder since age 12 would send shooting <i>and</i> dull pain in my neck. I did not however expect to flinch when he got to my lower back. Although I am extremely protective of my lower back after several <i>“hard knocks”</i> I still didn’t expect that reaction from myself. We ended our examination by taking x-rays. But before leaving he stopped me and in what seemed like an<i> I wanna warn you but not alarm you</i> tone told me that we would probably see a curve in my lower back.<br />
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Interestingly just the month before, we visited my grandparents and my grandmother told me she has scoliosis and even had to be braced for it when she was younger. She kept telling me that I should get checked for it. After hearing the chiropractor <i>“warn me”??</i> about a possible curve in my spine it popped into my mind. I asked my mom about it and she informed me that my uncle has it bad too and I should mention the family history to my chiropractor.<br />
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A few days, <i>and a lot of research</i> later. We met the chiropractor again to go over our x-rays (if you haven’t noticed by now my husband and I do most things together because we are both anxious millennials and struggle to adult properly lol). He immediately put my x-rays up to the light and viola! Behold the curve...<br />
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To be honest though it’s <b><i>really</i></b> not that bad. It’s only 15 degrees. That’s a mild case of scoliosis. But apparently even mild cases still cause enough trouble to cause pain and other issues. Also my neck is too straight or even slightly S curved rather than C curved and my upper back has a little issue too.<br />
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Also to make things a little more interesting my brother and I had been betting for <i>a while</i> that whenever I finally got my long time wish of a back x-ray granted (because I wanted to know if there was something causing my pain) that one of two thing would happen. One, according to him my “spine would be backwards”. Or two, <i>my</i> theory “nothing is wrong, it’s all in my head”. So these x-rays were a HUGE relief. I’m not <i>crazy!</i><br />
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The chiropractor also brought back an <b><u>OLD</u></b> childhood memory when he told me my left hip is about a half inch lower than the right and that my left leg is shorter than the other. But we don’t know which causes which.<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> I remember laying on the couch when I was about 5 and my cousins teasing me because they noticed one leg shorter than the other. No one else seemed to notice though.</span><br />
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After so much already starting to make sense I had no hesitation and signed up for 3 months of treatment.<br />
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<h3>
3 months later</h3>
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<i>This time</i> it’s me and my husband betting. How many degrees will my back of improved? I said 3. He said 4.<br />
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Today we were shown the x-rays. 5.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtGiegLVD0EwOklQcCX4I8-nc7Or8wZIjKpDtC0wrnKu0NwkvlTc7WGy5DJAXuGbvj37xRHzJsAvIn-qZC2Vb3WlKqgdtq_849h8pgCS20zZnSC1dHWEK4Ef6R0K9eyQqSkTqDv6uV-s/s1600/xray2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtGiegLVD0EwOklQcCX4I8-nc7Or8wZIjKpDtC0wrnKu0NwkvlTc7WGy5DJAXuGbvj37xRHzJsAvIn-qZC2Vb3WlKqgdtq_849h8pgCS20zZnSC1dHWEK4Ef6R0K9eyQqSkTqDv6uV-s/s320/xray2.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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I know its hard to tell the difference so here's a side by side of before and after.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgProLnv2RAoD8aWc1CJU4fThQUKSyBrhorigXpoUiLMUVtfr-xE4tt66rJLopcv4aXlk0joZjAuoEbsbv89Pf1bj1xysihkH5CnV0NSQVnp2k4_sixlKUVvv2G70efmG8QoBqJC926YlY/s1600/xraysidebyside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgProLnv2RAoD8aWc1CJU4fThQUKSyBrhorigXpoUiLMUVtfr-xE4tt66rJLopcv4aXlk0joZjAuoEbsbv89Pf1bj1xysihkH5CnV0NSQVnp2k4_sixlKUVvv2G70efmG8QoBqJC926YlY/s320/xraysidebyside.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Doc had a huge smile and told me “Five degrees in just 12 sessions is extremely impressive. Your responding great!”. To be honest I'm still pretty astonished that years of this going on improved so much. It went from 15 to 10 degrees in just 3 months. At that rate, in another month I won’t fall into the scoliosis category anymore! And to top things off, my neck is starting to form a C curve.<br />
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The x-rays also revealed that my pelvis being uneven <u><b>is</b></u> caused by my leg being shorter not vice-versa. So I’ll be getting a small shoe insert to even it out a bit.<br />
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Once we left we contemplated when the last time we had any of our severe symptoms? Matthew has not had any MAJOR allergy attacks, or nauseating headaches since we started. I’ve only had nerve pain in my toes once. I haven’t taken any ibuprofen for my neck or back since we started.<br />
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<h4>
How did it effect my riding?</h4>
• Better use of my right leg (It used to feel dead and lock up)<br />
• More even weight in seat bones<br />
• More stability and strength in my legs<br />
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In my lessons prior I could barely keep my leg quiet while trotting let alone a tiny 2’ jump. After just 2 weeks of care I had a steady leg at the canter and could hold myself over a 3’ jump.<br />
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It may not be a bed of roses. <span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This is just</span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i> my </i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">experience. I know some people don't agree with Chiropractic care. But for me it's been somewhat life changing. </span>I still have improvements to make. So I will continue my appointments and see just how much better I can get both in daily life and in my riding.<br />
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As always, thank you for reading!<br />
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<br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-52449742521346215062018-12-11T20:51:00.000-08:002018-12-11T20:51:13.001-08:00Lesson 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEvBc95-1Mqm5-bOZrarEfrHrUxBV3iTsD0C8_pps1AtIDiZDCGDUaD0PpBZkdPapCo-fqWqbNhIIdpTA_mimVlsbur6WCLPGpj84W5oBcCEtjHVzw4cWTNaQwDbqR4sS5t_xUOID_To/s1600/cover22.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEvBc95-1Mqm5-bOZrarEfrHrUxBV3iTsD0C8_pps1AtIDiZDCGDUaD0PpBZkdPapCo-fqWqbNhIIdpTA_mimVlsbur6WCLPGpj84W5oBcCEtjHVzw4cWTNaQwDbqR4sS5t_xUOID_To/s400/cover22.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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OMG! I almost forgot to write about this one. Yikes, I might be losing my mind. I'm sure it's fine though. I'm pretty sure I'm the odd ball out by blogging about my occasional lessons haha. Not exactly the most exciting stuff if you know what I mean..<br />
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Anyways... It was a good lesson. I didn't fall this time!<br />
In fact, my instructor rode the mare for a little bit before I got there just in case. Of course the mare was dead quiet. So quiet in fact my instructor laughed and told me "If she acts up this time then it's just you". Naturally this made me a little nervous because knowing my luck it would happen again.<br />
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Fortunately though nothing happened and she really was quiet as could be. It was a pleasant No-Stirrups lesson. And no I'm actually not being sarcastic. I am VERY weird and I enjoy no stirrups work. I'm not sure if the lesson was short or just felt short. It felt like 20 minutes. But it had to be longer I'm sure. I had it easy with this walk/trot lesson.<br />
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She had me work on my newly learned Haunches-In, lengthening and collecting, And of course my accuracy in turning. This sounds ridiculous because it sounds and looks like stuff that kids would be doing but I have a lot of catch up to do! And I'm not athletic so coordination is a struggle and so is depth perception. Let's just say my trainer finds it very<i> entertaining....</i><br />
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As you might be able to tell from this and some other blog posts I've written I tend to put myself down. I fully realize how far I have to go. I'm a perfectionist so nothing is ever good enough either. I'm only that way about myself though. If someone else makes a mistake I am quick to say "No one is perfect, you did great" but with myself it's a different story...<br />
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It may sound needy. But I am the type of person that needs honest yet kind feedback. Simply because I’m my own worst enemy and I won’t believe flattery! So it was a really good feeling when my instructor told my husband “She rides a lot better then she did when she first came to me!”. It was honest. She wasn’t trying to flatter me. She was talking to someone else and she didn’t say anything exaggerated. That statement did not mean I didn’t still have a long way to go. Just that she see’s improvement. I trust her professional opinion more than my own perception of something I don’t do NEARLY as much as her. So even though I get down on myself for not being the rider I wish I was, I can at least take solace in the fact that I am improving and I may yet get to be the rider I want to be someday. Besides I take like 2 lessons a month, which isn’t much. So if I can improve in 8 lessons I can be a little more positive about my potential I suppose.<br />
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Thanks for reading again. Sorry I don’t have any pics from this lesson. I will get some next time!Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-83612678852690737832018-11-30T17:53:00.001-08:002018-11-30T17:53:22.394-08:00My Reading Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenKPqrlemIfBhP6bzr2VdynxvxmYAkY3DuRXfFhpqJz5AvIk2x_VQHKAE166ptZKkWSTWNBTHyQnc968jegmrRLO4usrrJL0q94sHUegygL9KZmZQ5ycKZqdVYchgwL98Uvd6FF1iTl0/s1600/cover21.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenKPqrlemIfBhP6bzr2VdynxvxmYAkY3DuRXfFhpqJz5AvIk2x_VQHKAE166ptZKkWSTWNBTHyQnc968jegmrRLO4usrrJL0q94sHUegygL9KZmZQ5ycKZqdVYchgwL98Uvd6FF1iTl0/s640/cover21.PNG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love reading books. Especially anything educational. But I’m a picky reader... Always have been.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I don’t like the way a book is written I won’t read it. Some are too wordy and long winded in places they don’t need to be, too vague in areas they shouldn’t be, or facts aren’t accurate or backed up with any explanation. If things aren’t laid out in a logical order. Or My comprehension just doesn’t mesh with the writing style. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">So yes I do love to read. But I’m picky! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Luckily I do enjoy most horse books. So I tend to stick to those.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like anyone I’m always trying to improve myself. At this point in time I can’t ride much more than about two times a week. And some weeks I don’t get to ride at all. So even though the best way to improve my riding is by riding I am a bit limited. So I figured why not improve my head knowledge at least. Even though I can’t practice much I can at least know more and get a better understanding for when the time comes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well to be completely honest it was actually my husband who got me on my reading kick again. He wanted to start reading a bit everyday. But he’s never been a big reader and is fortunate to read for 15 minutes before he’s done for the day. So we decided to make it a goal for each of us to read as much as we can, or as we can stand to each day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since our goal is to run a farm together I decided to read more in depth on subjects I was already familiar with such as horse keeping, feeding, management, etc... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Matthew on the other hand wasn’t sure where to start. So I suggested he start on one of my old trusted books that goes over all the basics such as tack, horse handling, the gaits, styles of riding, different disciplines, etc..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book I started was one I had been meaning to read cover to cover for years now. </span></div>
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<u></u><span style="color: #b00000;"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide-Raising-Horses-2nd/dp/1603424717" target="_blank">Story's Guide to Raising Horses</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2Y8DE2IW0jRbXvSdoLttHkPQTBweUO6juQCWJKHgCBQNpCwqMKo0Qvs84CAToptKUPYvaiFfRxa9_nXfiGtDJ7O8davXfLrupssAtvorTmkhccd6TKqnhxAbIEknKcaUE6VIM9Cy9L4/s1600/rasing+horses+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2Y8DE2IW0jRbXvSdoLttHkPQTBweUO6juQCWJKHgCBQNpCwqMKo0Qvs84CAToptKUPYvaiFfRxa9_nXfiGtDJ7O8davXfLrupssAtvorTmkhccd6TKqnhxAbIEknKcaUE6VIM9Cy9L4/s320/rasing+horses+book.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the book Matthew started with is a nice illustrated guide to horse and rider. It helped me understand the basics better via illustrations when I was first starting</span>.</div>
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<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/complete-horse-and-rider-debby-sly/1113947635?ean=9781844768769&st=PLA&sid=BNB_New%20Core%20Shopping%20Books&sourceId=PLABiNA&dpid=tdtve346c&2sid=Bing_c&msclkid=d121d1712a921d0d71e48d70f358bc2d&adlclid=ADL-57d2dce2-ad63-43fa-9451-b7e1cd8021a2" target="_blank">Complete Horses and Rider</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pJyXs1zUz_16S_Mc9i2RjMAXabS8fgUVrQg_fFMTNQKR4Bc49mDuBQ5pomVGWgQXSrunGDEUmDnhTLhzOgt8m1sJCqlJxFjr9dpdJwlWXAxJgu2MEcBGEYU-lUWdh7Zwj_s6VX-eYbk/s1600/horse+and+rider+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pJyXs1zUz_16S_Mc9i2RjMAXabS8fgUVrQg_fFMTNQKR4Bc49mDuBQ5pomVGWgQXSrunGDEUmDnhTLhzOgt8m1sJCqlJxFjr9dpdJwlWXAxJgu2MEcBGEYU-lUWdh7Zwj_s6VX-eYbk/s320/horse+and+rider+book.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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Of course these are only the start!</div>
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My goal is to get through one book a month. I have a few other books on my shelf that I have read from but never cover to cover. But I'm really looking forward to finding new books to read! I already kind of have a list of ones I'd like to check out on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/FitEquestrian/eq-books/?eq=eq%20b&etslf=9895" target="_blank">Pinterest in my board Eq Books</a>. So if you all have any suggestions please share! </div>
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I think I'm going to start a highlights reel on Instagram for all the books I'm reading if anyone wants to see what I'm reading or discuss them :) @thegalloptogreatness</div>
<br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-86713260232970516952018-11-07T17:01:00.001-08:002018-11-07T17:01:25.503-08:00Lesson #7<div class="separator" style="color: #454545; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9TvDWdXj5ttzZOI-pfTxYLhYL9rishkGO4ftBnJa5t3W30R-TlTfQcN9Ur63rD7D68DQzYzKdpsXPFgs8Rp_p9X6mux-ipQvJig0slMi1ro0J8sUsSsrQZnGIZUh4nQNhs3YliaEYR8/s1600/cover20.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="1427" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9TvDWdXj5ttzZOI-pfTxYLhYL9rishkGO4ftBnJa5t3W30R-TlTfQcN9Ur63rD7D68DQzYzKdpsXPFgs8Rp_p9X6mux-ipQvJig0slMi1ro0J8sUsSsrQZnGIZUh4nQNhs3YliaEYR8/s400/cover20.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Recounting the events of last week..</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">Fortunately I am ok. None of these things were terrible and I don’t have any injuries. Or at least anything serious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">Got to the barn and started grooming. My instructor texted and asked if she seemed “wild”? Nope, she was her lovable, needy self. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">All seemed to go fine. I thought that was her spurt for the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">Wrong.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">Dead wrong *laughs internally*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">It was jump or throw up and pass out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">Jump it was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">I know that’s a long story and believe me there is always more details but I tried to keep it brief.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17pt;">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</span></div>
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Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-3466539346794098092018-10-03T20:15:00.005-07:002018-10-03T20:15:49.865-07:00Time To Distance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6GUbJyJJzh0RTuvCfSVnV1gjgZweFl6ldq1WvbOBRam0kt_gWhZROEPMW-MkAjq2fh5hcP2E8QJsmHfCLEgrEPYxwbpJEgSwzSjzt0AfCm4vKhY7FfpjTozDsc4nWSBTvKp28jzz07Y/s1600/cover19.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6GUbJyJJzh0RTuvCfSVnV1gjgZweFl6ldq1WvbOBRam0kt_gWhZROEPMW-MkAjq2fh5hcP2E8QJsmHfCLEgrEPYxwbpJEgSwzSjzt0AfCm4vKhY7FfpjTozDsc4nWSBTvKp28jzz07Y/s640/cover19.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I started riding the idea of a “bond” perpetuated my ideal of what I was looking for when horse shopping.</span></span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But as I grew in age and experience I realized that that wasn’t something that would necessarily happen right away. Sometimes you can simply look for other criteria and develop a bond or relationship over time.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">To be honest, the last few years I haven’t even wanted a personal horse. I wanted an investment piece or a project.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But Angus or Tally as his owner named him changed that for me. From my first time working with him he reminded me of that 13 year old girl who thought picking out a horse was as simple as meeting them and then sparks would fly and a magical bond was made. I instantly felt familiar with him. Like if we’d been together for years and this was just another day seeing my good friend. By the second ride I let the barn owner know that I intended to adopt him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But only a few days later he informed me that another rider would be riding him as well. This seemed like nothing to my husband. But I knew what he was doing. Maybe that’s cynical of me but it’s happened too many times to not be the case. People are devious. In the past I worked at a farm where I trained some of the horses in exchange for board. Then I could get a percentage on there sale. But they all managed to get “free leased”.... </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Nonetheless I was determined to show I would not back down. I was the one who started him when no one else would give him the time of day. I deserved an opportunity to adopt him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Unfortunately though things with the owner and the barn owner are complicated and everything could go about 10 different ways. Maybe one of those ways ends with me adopting him.</span></span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">So here I am. Wondering why I let myself get so attached as I cry from heartache knowing that yet again a horse I’ve come to love will slip through my fingers like <a href="https://thegalloptogreatness.blogspot.com/search?q=amber" target="_blank">Amber</a> did. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But I didn’t<i> let</i> this happen. It wasn’t something I went <i>looking</i> for. It really was that <i>love at first ride</i> kinda deal. Not something I could of planned for or avoided.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">So why am I writing all this?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Please bear in mind this is all a bit personal and I also don't want to share too much of other peoples business</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Well, partly because it’s a release of my emotions. And partly because it solidifies my decision. I don’t like messy situations. I prefer clean cut, honest, and legally correct methods of doing things. Perhaps I’m a fool for allowing myself to get involved at all to <i>“help a friend out”</i>. But I can’t change the past.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; outline: transparent 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.99px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I can however move forward. Gently letting things go and moving on with better options.</span></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-61210572070972721582018-10-03T19:19:00.002-07:002018-10-03T19:19:42.588-07:00Lesson #6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3X1OMicya2ZhjEt2DxwA9pO_m-QWhKRTv4zH0T8LOenLXUTgQLAAp3_BoRxt87f1ZQVJ1IMQUEHa31pCkDpWDWBAadxzIEYJcUbCBI0D1Qp3kJmhWW0tHdnqj7mcI6BsR_c-xqQTYrwc/s1600/cover18.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1600" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3X1OMicya2ZhjEt2DxwA9pO_m-QWhKRTv4zH0T8LOenLXUTgQLAAp3_BoRxt87f1ZQVJ1IMQUEHa31pCkDpWDWBAadxzIEYJcUbCBI0D1Qp3kJmhWW0tHdnqj7mcI6BsR_c-xqQTYrwc/s640/cover18.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">I managed to get up early which has been quite a struggle lately. Had to make a pit stop because I was dumb and left my helmet at the other barn. And then I was finally ready to head an hour north for my lesson.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">It was surprisingly </span><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext-italic"; font-size: 22.66px; font-style: italic;">fresh </span><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">when we walked outside. The drop from 95+ degree days to only 84 as a high meant that at 7am it was only about 70 degrees or so which for Houston Texas is when everyone starts bringing out their jackets!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">Once at the barn I groomed the grey mare I’d be riding while Matthew bonded with her haha. She wanted attention and he was there, so she made due..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">The lesson itself was not my best to say the least. My instructor is great. But I did not do her justice. My legs were noisy, I couldn’t sit right, and even managed to lose a stirrup... Sometimes I wonder why I’m even trying lol. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">But hey at least I have some homework </span></div>
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<li style="color: #454545; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13.33px;"></span><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">Sink weight in heels and close lower leg properly</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13.33px;"></span><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">Look up</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: 100%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13.33px;"></span><span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 22.66px;">Give with elbows, not shoulders</span></li>
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Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-45993994839680699532018-09-20T15:10:00.002-07:002018-09-20T15:10:45.081-07:00 Lesson #5 From Aug. 27, 2018 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFWa1KZd7vPJlgllMj-i-Rk2eRX96m-imbPTjM9r8KBpCDVAyWNotzsacFcEyFdK3eVBlJzoPDPSs9PMYJkVUAE7Itg3hykYe0kPndRbyrDEsG8JH-IV3Rn-fIv9jAKVNNmPOYim15aw/s1600/lesson+5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFWa1KZd7vPJlgllMj-i-Rk2eRX96m-imbPTjM9r8KBpCDVAyWNotzsacFcEyFdK3eVBlJzoPDPSs9PMYJkVUAE7Itg3hykYe0kPndRbyrDEsG8JH-IV3Rn-fIv9jAKVNNmPOYim15aw/s400/lesson+5.PNG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Honestly I was dreading this lesson a bit. I hadn’t been feeling right. You know when you just feel like you aren’t one with your own body. Like you don’t really control it. Anyways I was having one of those days. Ok... more
like weeks. I swear it’s just a new normal for me to feel like crap lol. I even managed to get car sick within 3 minutes of being in the car. But I wasn’t going to submit to this. I did my best to psych myself up on the hour ride up there.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Once there I felt a bit better. I focused on talking and grooming to get my mind off of it.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">I got to ride Luna again. She is a sweet pretty grey mare that usually has just one lil spook in her. She seemed extra sweet this day.
Maybe she was just happy with her fresh pedicure lol.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Once in the arena we walked quite a bit to limber up while me and my instructor talked. The whole lesson was extremely enjoyable. I felt like A) I may of actually made some progress
and B) My trainer and I bonded a bit.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">I struggle to feel bonded to people. Maybe it’s my awkward nature, maybe it’s my negative inner monologue, maybe it’s just my imagination after all. In any case it was even more chill
and encouraging than usual and I really needed that. I needed to feel like I belonged a bit and she made me feel that way. I really can’t express how much that means to me.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Once we warmed up she had me drop my stirrups and practice
leg yields and learn and practice haunches in. It’s SO NICE learning how a new movement should feel on an experienced horse first! In the past I had tried to learn a few different movements by reading, watching videos, and trying to get my MUCH lesser
trained horses to do them. And although we did something I never knew if it was correct because I didn’t know how it was supposed to feel in the first place. So now I know how haunches in should feel and I’m so thankful for it!</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">After
doing lots of stirrupless dressage which I LOVED! We did move on to some small jumps. This mare is similar to my first horse in that she overthinks and gets the zoomies!!!! But my first horse was much worse, of course I’m sure most was my lack of experience.</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">I have to say I always feel like I do dressage much better than jumping lol.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-10069332804173088052018-09-20T14:51:00.000-07:002018-09-20T15:11:03.867-07:00Lesson #4 From Aug. 10, 2018 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_PVt_-0Tc3HFZ3gbHS20USN8caB5hvvT_fw73HCuJ4dpoo_j0hfghAjXRFhyCzr7XoemA8zTWfU5uuDwX94KqhB6jW-KxuWkrWAs49e56e_wcBckgn5TGhKt1Ye2e11U6D-TAk_Qpls/s1600/lesson+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_PVt_-0Tc3HFZ3gbHS20USN8caB5hvvT_fw73HCuJ4dpoo_j0hfghAjXRFhyCzr7XoemA8zTWfU5uuDwX94KqhB6jW-KxuWkrWAs49e56e_wcBckgn5TGhKt1Ye2e11U6D-TAk_Qpls/s400/lesson+4.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Let me just start by saying I still wasn’t feeling 100% the past week. And I was sick all day Saturday with low blood sugar and some pretty bad asthma. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">But I woke up feeling better on Sunday. I even went out and
did some things. Only to regret that decision because I ended up getting my asthma triggered again lol. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">7pm came and I was assigned to ride a different horse again. I love riding different horses often. Each time I ride a new horse
it helps me be more adaptable and comfortable for the next one.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Today was a big bay gelding. In his younger years he won at the 1.60’s. But today he was gonna pony me around. I pity him.. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">He certainly was
a gentleman and got right up to the mounting block. But he was a lot of work to ride. I was determined to get him forward (ish) and even my instructor commented on how well I had done in that area. His canter was fun although he made me work for leads and
despite being an old man he still had a little buck in him if i used the crop to emphasize my leg. Honestly I’m not at all upset about a horse that makes me work because I’ll be all the better of a rider for it.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">We did some
low jumps. Starting with a single cross rail. I was less excited this time, thankfully. And this was helped by her having me sit the last few strides.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Next was an outside line. By this point I was definitely getting tired and keeping him
going was tough but we managed to get it done. My equitation on the last one was atrocious! I knew it as soon as we took off. I had my weight in my toes and didn’t feel much bend in my knees. I love my instructor because she didn’t yell at me or
make me feel even worse for what I already knew was wrong. She simply pointed it out and asked I try again.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Then she wanted to test out my steering with a “jumpery” 90 degree 4 stride turn to the left from jump one to
jump two. Then a bending 8 or 9 stride line to the right for jump three. Jump one went well. I felt reasonably strong over it. Even before the first jump i was planning the second and immediately started my turn as he finished landing. He was great and followed
my cues but nearly fell making the turn. Strangely I was not scared. I was laughing..... He regained his footing in time for the second jump though. Jump three was a piece of cake after that. Then because I was exhausted I let him trot way to early.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">After each lesson I like to create a list of the things I struggled with most and at least prepare mentally for those challenges next time. So far this has actually helped. Nothing beats actual practice but it’s better than nothing</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Lesson notes</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Heels down</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Hands up</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Don’t roach my back</span></li>
</ul>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-24737880086519665492018-09-19T18:58:00.000-07:002018-09-19T18:58:43.856-07:00Lesson #3 From Aug. 2, 2018 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0QEQhw_2B4M5IBKuNZQk11kGIPFQLmajFXZv465uhMM0arSXw6dEVzAV-TFJJQnEmxVPc50hE9TjXtkh0Qs1YKGsM2Lom5haDq4DTWe8b_rUi02c_4ezMeg1e_nEDQJj-OTrmewJj9U/s1600/lesson+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0QEQhw_2B4M5IBKuNZQk11kGIPFQLmajFXZv465uhMM0arSXw6dEVzAV-TFJJQnEmxVPc50hE9TjXtkh0Qs1YKGsM2Lom5haDq4DTWe8b_rUi02c_4ezMeg1e_nEDQJj-OTrmewJj9U/s400/lesson+3.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">After a week of feeling like absolute crud Sunday morning came. All week I had been tired, hungry, no appetite, with aches and pains. I have no reason. I got plenty of sleep. Ate good food. Listened to my body. Got rest. Really not much reason
other than my time of the month. But that doesn’t really account for my arthritis acting up.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Well it doesn’t really matter anyway, life goes on!</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Sunday morning had arrived and I was looking forward to my
lesson. I was happy to be able to ride a different mare. I love most mares. Luna, a very made dressage horse. </span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Her grey flea bitten coat reminded me of my first ride ever. It was a trail ride in south Florida on a grey flea bitten
Arab mare named Mocha.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Today felt like I was at day one again though. My brain was in a fog. My body was even less coordinated than usual. Even my instructor picked up on my blundering about.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Despite being 25 I felt
like a kid on their first day at a new barn or school again. I’m not sure if that happens to other adults but it’s something I feel often. To be honest it’s embarrassing.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">But I was happy to finally get on and get in the
arena. I was warned that she usually spooks walking to the arena or making a canter transition. But so far so good. I lengthened my stirrups and walked her about. Aaaand then had to lengthen them more because I was still managing to pinch with my knees. I
have a long way to go still on that haha.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">This mare was an even bigger test of leg strength and stamina than the last. I had to pick up a crop for emphasis. She had lovely gaits though! I really enjoyed her movement. </span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">The
geldings in the paddock nearby decided they needed a mud bath pronto and made quick work of their water trough to succeed in their goal. Luna looked at them a little but still no spooking.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Today my instructor got to see how bad my depth
and spatial perception really is. My brain couldn’t find the quarter line. Especially in one corner. It was embarrassing but I kept at it till we could at least see “some” improvement.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Alas she spooked towards the end
of the lesson during our canter work. Initially at a noise but it wasn’t too bad.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">On the way home Matthew and I got some iced coffees and jotted down some lesson notes.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<ul style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 25px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Remember
hands up and legs back.</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Don’t get behind the motion</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Don’t pinch with my knees</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Keep working on engaging my core</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">And look up!</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Clearly I’m still a project lol but I have a lesson again this Sunday and hopefully my body and head feel better and I can ride better.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-74038189553465005932018-09-19T18:41:00.001-07:002018-09-19T18:43:00.753-07:00Lesson #2 Hard Work Pays Off From Jul. 18, 2018 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_4svkl7DeHd9Pb_4NoJp-XxR-mmSwphrICOZWZm5XCtzjbhTCeeMIT50vBSrdC8CTI2G9PcxiU67LhIQeIGqHTlKosHBEVCLZwYZFuUGdDzDx7W3_mHHfRu16vAh0te3O9KoIG9PCok/s1600/lesson+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1280" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_4svkl7DeHd9Pb_4NoJp-XxR-mmSwphrICOZWZm5XCtzjbhTCeeMIT50vBSrdC8CTI2G9PcxiU67LhIQeIGqHTlKosHBEVCLZwYZFuUGdDzDx7W3_mHHfRu16vAh0te3O9KoIG9PCok/s400/lesson+2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">I was nervous and excited for my second lesson at the new barn. It had been 3 weeks! I thought there was no way I could of improved and if anything I thought I’d be worse because how can I possibly improve without practice!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">I
rode the same mare again. And while grooming I wondered if I would still be out of breath with shaking legs by the end of the ride again. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> After I got on me and my instructor promptly agreed to keep talking as much as we could
since it helps me relax and breathe. The poor thing had to listen to my babblings for 45 minutes. Let me just say, she deserves every penny I pay lol.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">The first half my stirrups were a little too short but I had already lengthened them
twice and didn’t want to interrupt the lesson again. I have long legs and she does too. And even though she is taller than me our legs are the exact same length! Thankfully she stopped me and lengthened my stirrups quite a bit. Felt 100% better! </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Of course I still had to work on my hands, legs, and breathing but I was catching myself earlier and correcting them faster so that’s some improvement.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">If you follow me on Instagram you’ll see a short video from the
lesson. I can see my leg position has already improved!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">I have known years now that I tend to pinch with my knees quite a bit. I’ve worked on it in the past. But she worked on it more with me. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">She also got
to see how TERRIBLE I am about rushing fences. And I’m not talking about a normal 3 foot fence. Nope! I’m talking about even the itty bitty cross rail that’s barely 1 foot high! Lol. (P.s. I haven’t jumped in years so i was super excited)
So naturally I had to tell her about my first horse that also attacked fences and what a disaster we were haha good times....</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Something that has annoyed me for a long time now is how at the canter especially in a two point my lower back...
flops.. And to be honest I find it disgusting when I watch videos. So I asked her about it and she told me it’s because my core isn’t strong enough yet. So yes more core work to come in the gym!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">But my BIGGEST victory of the
day was the fact that I didn’t get too out of breath. Yes, I was hot and sweaty but I was not exhausted like last time. I was not the reason we had to stop this time. This time it was the old sweet mare that gave out first haha. I can’t tell you
how happy it made me that my cardio is paying off!!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "quot"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Overall it was another great lesson. Well worth driving an hour each way. In just two lessons I have already seen and felt some improvements and I’m very excited for what not just
the next lesson holds but what the future over the course of time will improve.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-15091825388801275432018-09-19T18:36:00.001-07:002018-09-19T18:36:48.083-07:00My First Lesson In 8 Years! From Jun. 26, 2018 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrzi8XDQV2n9-3AB1aYD5AgObPbWtbhGWTd3TXPdgYa5Zr91uGw_KHjN2JxvSbZvCsdbBRL2EWpaeS0JB1WYARz3sTsY4HtN_lhuQLrNyzO1dn-SVgHjjIXWYV0Oel8vEpnjGs3tf0qI/s1600/lesson+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; float: left; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrzi8XDQV2n9-3AB1aYD5AgObPbWtbhGWTd3TXPdgYa5Zr91uGw_KHjN2JxvSbZvCsdbBRL2EWpaeS0JB1WYARz3sTsY4HtN_lhuQLrNyzO1dn-SVgHjjIXWYV0Oel8vEpnjGs3tf0qI/s400/lesson+1.png" width="300" /></a><span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Let me start by saying it’s not something I’m proud of. We all know we never stop learning. And although the horse is the best teacher, that’s no excuse for not getting lessons from a qualified professional. We all need that
second eye to constructively critique us, challenge us, and help us understand things in a way we might not of before. Our education is never ending and we need not hold ourselves back by not getting lessons just because we already “know how to ride”.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Of course that was not my intention at all for these past 8 years. In fact it was only out of necessity that I didn’t get lessons. Finances were tight and I could only afford to board my horses while I had them. Sometimes I couldn’t afford
anything at all. But now I’m horseless by choice (to save up money). So now I can afford lessons and honestly I’m stoked to learn from others and improve faster than I would by myself.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">I’m not an outgoing
person. I’m not “shy” but I’m not comfortable approaching others either. So when I found out a Twitter friend was going Pro and moving to Houston I felt more comfortable going to her. What a good choice that was!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">We
all know the stereotypical riding instructor that yells and says some “interesting” remarks. Not this one! She was very welcoming and kind. The barn felt like a home. Everyone we met was kind and welcoming.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">She
placed me on an older mare that she places every new client on. This mare was so sweet and likable you couldn’t help but fall in love with her. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Like any older school horse she tests your leg power! And yes I may go to the gym
a lot but that didn’t seem to matter to her lol. I admit I am small and probably still not very strong. But the biggest challenge was cardiovascular. I’ve never been very strong in that department. I hadn’t ridden in 3 weeks and Fancy was
the type that didn’t need barely any leg at all. As were the two horses before her lol. So needless to say I was a red faced hot mess that had to stop to catch my breath and get some water. I was thoroughly embarrassed but oh well. Now I know I need
to start doing cardio in the gym. I dread this with all my heart. But it must be done. If I want to improve I need to make myself do this.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">As far as my equitation she of course told me that my lower leg needs to come back
about 3 inches. I hate my chair seat so I’m glad she can remind me about that. I also need to sit up a bit more. She’d probably gag if she saw me ride 8 years ago lol. She also mentioned shortening my reins and breathing with my arms more, keeping
my hands even, and up a bit. Oh and apparently I dip in at times so I also need to stay centered while turning. I’m really impressed with her critiques. I think she dissected the worst of my issues and brought it up in a way that didn’t make me
feel terrible about myself lol. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"> </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 11px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="clear: none; color: black; display: inline; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to learning and seeing how far I can improve.</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-42361498101623363402018-09-19T16:10:00.001-07:002018-09-19T16:10:31.091-07:005 Tips for a Successful Warm-up on a Fresh/Frisky/Anxious Horse to get a better Ride - From November 1st 2015<div class="img-simple span6 pull-left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000; box-sizing: border-box; clear: none; color: black; display: block; float: left; font-family: &quot; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 3px; min-height: 32px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: 310.66px; word-spacing: 0px;">
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Alright! Bring on the cold!<br />
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Nothing beats a warm cup of coffee in your hands on a cold morning :)</div>
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However while you sip your coffee you may be dreading your ride.... because cold weather brings frisky horses.</div>
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So here are some tips
for creating a successful warm up that should relax your fresh horse.</div>
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#1 Have&Keep a Calm AND Patient demeanor.</div>
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It's very important that you don't psych yourself out. Remaining Calm and Patient with a fresh/frisky horse goes a loooong way..</div>
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#2 Take things slow..</div>
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Don't rush into your ride.. do at least 10 minutes of walking.. Focus on relaxing through the poll. Shoulder In's and Leg Yields, Walk over or through some ground poles. This gives your horse something productive to do because
it gets him listening to you and keeps him occupied.</div>
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#3 Once your horse seems relaxed enough ask for a slow trot. Keep a decent contact thats not a death grip but if your horse if one to rush forward don't give too much rein. Do circles and serpintines
of various sizes. This will again keep him occupied and get him listening. It also discourages him from speeding up to much. Again Focus on relaxing through the poll.</div>
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#4 Once he seems relaxed a bit more you can pick up the pace a little and try doing
Shoulder In's, Leg Yields, and ground poles at the trot. Again make sure he stays relatively relaxed. If he starts getting too frisky go back to step 2.</div>
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#5 Canter. Yes, I said Canter.. remember your horse should be mostly relaxed before you do this.
It's just a warm up canter. If he tries to run off just do some circles. If he is good but feels frisky (you know when they want to run off but are good and don't) and has pent up energy then just keep him at a controlled canter and let him canter till he
stops on his own. Trust me they almost say thank you after you let them get it out.</div>
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Well those are the top 5 things that help me have successful warm-ups on frisky horses in cold weather.</div>
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I actually apply these to every warm-up on every horse
because they are so effective.</div>
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Remember a successful warm-up is the foundation for a successful ride.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-61345109452956224782018-04-04T14:38:00.000-07:002018-04-04T14:38:19.682-07:00AM vs PM Workouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Hey guys!<br />
<br />
I can't believe March is already gone! I've been so busy it feels like I missed the entire month. But I haven't. I've been busy getting back on a routine. I love to see progress! But the last few months I haven't really seen much progress both in the gym and in my riding.<br />
<br />
But after seeing some inspiring Tweets of other equestrians seeing progress in the gym I got motivated to make things happen again. I put together a more intense workout plan that we could stick too and started eating a little better and counting macros again because sadly I tend to under eat when I don't at least loosely track my macros.<br />
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Matthew had an idea though...<br />
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"We should workout in the mornings instead of evenings"<br />
<br />
For our schedule that means 7am workouts. But last few times I tried morning workouts I got super nauseous and had no energy or strength. How was I going to survive this?!?!<br />
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Years ago when I had no clue about proper fitness I preferred to workout in the mornings but since starting to workout properly I switched to evenings because that's what Matthew preferred for his energy levels and it fit our schedule well. But now he's been having 0 energy or motivation in the evenings. And with me riding after work it was difficult schedule wise too. But the worst part of going to the gym at night for me is how crowded it is. Sometimes we just have to walk out between everything being taken and my social anxiety.<br />
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So I decided to try mornings again. Especially after seeing how low the crowds were in the mornings.<br />
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Surprise!<br />
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I didn't feel weak and I didn't get nauseas! I actually enjoyed! I was able to do more and feel better during the workout and throughout the day. My workouts and riding have improved! I am finally seeing progress again.<br />
<br />
My workouts have been longer, more varied, and a little more intense. My body is responding. My abs are finally gaining a little definition again. I'm not exactly sure how but somehow this change to morning workouts has translated into the saddle too. Ever since we made the switch 2 weeks ago my riding has improved too, mostly in my confidence levels which allows me to ride a little more boldly and thus effectively.<br />
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Now this may not work for everyone. Some people really are night Owls. But there are pro's and con's to AM vs PM workouts.<br />
<br />
For some morning workouts are when they have most energy and it helps them throughout the day. It can be therapeutic. A lot of people say morning workouts on an empty stomach (no food) provides more of a fat burning effect. At the very least it's nice to get your workout out of the way first thing in the morning so you can relax in the evenings (or ride ;) . In some gyms there are less people in the mornings. <br />
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But in other gyms mornings may be the busy time. Another issue some may have with AM workouts is some may get nauseous or feel week and dizzy especially with little to nothing to eat beforehand.<br />
<br />
For others, evenings are when they have the most energy. They prefer to look forward to a workout after work to blow off steam. Some say that evening workouts help them gain strength easier because they have been fueling their bodies all day and have more energy to lift strong. In some gyms evenings are slower.<br />
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But in others like I said before it's the busy time. Also for some people it becomes another chore to do after work. And a lot of us are just to exhausted after workout after a long day of work!<br />
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Bottom line do what works for you! Do what works for your body and your schedule :)<br />
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<br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-40121183744724567712018-02-11T15:08:00.000-08:002018-02-11T15:08:09.088-08:00| Three Budget Dry Shampoos |<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Dry Shampoo can be a useful tool to keep in your <i>barn bag</i> so you can freshen up your hair before heading back into society..</b></div>
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Hey Guys! </div>
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We have <i>possibly</i> entered a new era here at The Gallop to Greatness Blog!</div>
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I have recorded my first ever YouTube video where I actually talk face to face with the camera. (<i>Scary!</i>)</div>
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I CANNOT tell you how anxious this makes me!! But I finally did it. </div>
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This Video features three budget friendly dry shampoos that I review. </div>
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<b>Why I chose dry Shampoos???</b></div>
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Because I like to extend the freshness of my hair with them when I either don't have time to wash my hair or don't want to have to wash it every day.</div>
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Plus I had 3 laying around that I was familiar with.</div>
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So please watch and let me know what you think!</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5TdkH1bjRm0/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5TdkH1bjRm0?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-53694647180881543652018-01-31T16:57:00.000-08:002018-01-31T16:57:08.326-08:00January - A Special Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>January.</b> It's always been my favorite month. Winter is my favorite season because of snow and all things cozy. And January in right in the thick of it all. But since 2015 it's become a month of reflection. Especially towards the end of the month. It's also bittersweet. I don't process mixed emotions very well. They usually just frustrate and anger, and sadden me. But I'm getting better lol.<br />
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<i>Why January is such a roller coaster?</i><br />
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One, it's the month I was born in. The 29th. So naturally I use the reminder to reflect on where I've been and where I'm going in life. Two, it's the month my late mare Twist passed away in. The 30th. She meant the world to me and losing her was devastating. Also my parents wedding anniversary is in January. The 31st. It's something we usually celebrate as a family.<br />
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All that in three days one after the next.<br />
<br />
So this year I want to share my thoughts and feelings with you all..<br />
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This past year I lost a decent job. Got a better job. Got a horse. Joined a new gym. Put on some muscle. Got an apartment with a bedroom. Lots of good things happened to me! I know 2017 was awful for so many but it was pretty kind to me. I had some moments. But that's life. It's all ups and downs. Nothing is static.<br />
<br />
I've grown a bit more as a person too. I've realized how truly despicable most people actually are. I know that sounds counter-intuitive to personal growth but really rejecting reality would be narrow minded. That doesn't mean there aren't a lot of good people out there though! There are some diamonds in the rough! While most people will lie and cheat to chase strive after the wind. Some people will hold their integrity even if it makes things harder on them, some are generous, and some are just rays of light with so much positivity and can do attitudes.<br />
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We need to look for people that bring out the best in us. Remove toxic people from your life! Or at least limit your exposure to them.<br />
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Have balance in everything.<br />
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<b>***</b></div>
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Three years ago I lost a huge part of me. Twist was my life! She was not a young mare, but at 17 she was too young to die. It was a fluke case of colic. Her guts twisted and strangulated themselves. I couldn't afford surgery no matter how many favors I tried to call in. It's a heartbreaking choice some of us have to make.<br />
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I remember when I first tried her out for a couple weeks. I actually told my parents I didn't want her. I felt like we didn't click at all. But my mom knows a good thing when she see's it and even though she's not an equestrian she saw something special in that big red mare.<br />
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Three years after we bought her I finally saw it for myself. I still get mad that I merely flatted her all that time. Everyone including me thought she was lazy. No! She was bored. Even low jumps bored her to death. We thought she didn't like jumping because she knocked them all over. No! She wanted a challenge. Bump it up to 2'9" or so and she woke up to be a fire breathing red dragon!<br />
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She was trained as a hunter but after dabbling in dressage this Quarter Horse mare liked to lift her shoulders and dance a little. She finally enjoyed her work and looked forward to it. She felt fulfilled. We planned to show her and then breed her the year she passed. We even had a stud picked out. It was like two losses when it hit me. I'd never see that foal frolic. I'd never have a piece of her live on and train and show with once I retire her.<br />
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I pray I find a mare I can connect with so much again.<br />
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<b>***</b></div>
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In the past month I've learned a bit about Swedish culture. And even though I'm not of Scandinavian decent, I connect with their culture so much its like the home I've always been wishing I had.<br />
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Two words that they use really speak to me because in my personal development over the past ten years I've come to value their meanings and apply them in my life.<br />
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Hygge-<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> is a Danish and Norwegian word which can be described as a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. A<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">cknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special</span></span><br />
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Lagom- <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: #666666; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-type: none; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">a Swedish word meaning "just the right amount". The Lexin Swedish-English dictionary defines lagom as "enough, sufficient, adequate, just right". Lagom is also widely translated as "in moderation", "in balance", "perfect-simple", and "suitable". Whereas words like sufficient and average suggest some degree of abstinence, scarcity, or failure, lagom carries the connotation of appropriateness, although not necessarily perfection. "Not to much, Not to little"</span><br />
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So I have tried to enjoy everything or make everything enjoyable. Especially the simple things. That is a relatively new concept for me and I'm REALLY enjoying it! It's therapeutic and relaxing. A concept not so new to me is BALANCE! I have long preached about how balance is key. So finding a culture based off of that in both large and small matters was comforting. </div>
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Well that's all I've got today guys!! I'm sorry I haven't been posting much but I hope you all enjoyed this one!</div>
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P.S. Would you all like if I started making videos? I've been getting an itch to try doing a video testing different makeup to see how it holds up to riding, life, and gym???? Comment "YES" If you think I should try it :)</div>
<br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-1666499177278938042017-12-22T15:51:00.000-08:002017-12-22T15:51:59.382-08:002018 Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>I'm not sure where 2017 went. Especially since September. But now it's time to move on to 2018.</b></div>
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<b>I decided to share my 10 Goals for the 2018 year. Some of them are a little silly so bear with me ok :</b>)</div>
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#1</h4>
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Is actually to get back on a personal development routine. Basically lots of reading lol. Whether it's history, fiction, the bible. I need to keep my mind active and work on bettering myself.</div>
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SAVE $$$$. Well at least save as much money as I can. Having a dedicated savings quota to meet every month.</div>
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#3</h4>
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Keep the apartment tidy. Yep.. It's real exciting isn't it.. I know we all get behind but I feel like I get so far behind I'm actually walking backwards. That doesn't even make sense! And that should tell you everything you need to know about how behind I get on chores. But, my horse and tack are spotless!!</div>
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Get Fancy Fit. I know I've probably been saying this for months. That's why #3 (above) is so important! But I want to get her fit enough so that we can have a 45-60 minute ride with lots of cantering and she doesn't die!!</div>
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How appropriate that #5 is to put on 5lbs of muscle or more haha!</div>
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Lose enough fat to have abs lol it would be a dream come true!</div>
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Start taking riding lessons again. Yes this will effect #2 but it is worth it!</div>
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<li><h4>
#8</h4>
</li>
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Start doing small shows. Well more like 2 schooling shows because #7 is already going to hurt #2 so much.</div>
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<li><h4>
#9</h4>
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</ul>
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BETTER CONTENT!! I am so sorry my content on here isn't what it should be. I need to show you guys workouts, discuss riding, and give you guys information you want/need to hear!</div>
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<li><h4>
#10</h4>
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This one is really embarrassing actually. </div>
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Start driving again. Ok, ok.. I know "what do you mean you don't drive??". No, I currently do not because I literally have a panic/anxiety attack every single time I go to. Yes, I used to drive before but it was no picnic then either. Between busier city streets than before and my anxiety getting worse I have not been driving for a while. But I need to. I want to. My anxiety does not want to. But I can win. It just takes a lot of effort. It's exhausting. But I want to try. <b></b><b></b><b></b></div>
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Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-4637035328602243522017-12-19T08:28:00.000-08:002017-12-19T08:28:50.837-08:00Equestrian Style Game Day <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Sophisticated</h3>
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That is the epitome of equestrian style. From the polished leather boots to the high collar white shirts. Sophistication is our holy grail. So what if some of struggle walking with our own two feet without numbing into everything. And we’ll just ignore the red sweaty faces and the helmet hair. Because when we aren’t panting from carrying all our tack up hill or chasing a runaway horse our sport inspires high end fashion designers and strikes awe into onlookers. Shhh don’t tell them how clumsy the horses are. Let them see us as elegant masters of our art. *steps in poo whilst monologing*.<br />
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For certain we are a rare and striking breed. We have an interesting taste for the finer things while handling thousand pound toddlers that poop in their water buckets.<br />
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I grew up in an “intellectual” family. We didn’t do sports. I mean sure we occasionally kicked a ball around but never knew the rules to anything or followed any sports. Fast forward to now and you will see I’m still no expert but since marrying a sports-aholic I have picked up some stuff and gotten a bit educated on it.<br />
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So yesterday the Patriots played the Steelers. My husband and his family are patriots fans and so is my grandfather so I easily became one too. Naturally we needed food to watch the game. Now most people follow the traditional game day foods such as burgers, wings, nachos, etc... But Matthew married an equestrian... Dont get me wrong, I love that stuff. But I have a knack for well... a slightly more sophisticated version..<br />
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<h3>
Behold #EquestrianStyleGameDayFood</h3>
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We got some gourmet meats and hard goat and cheddar cheeses to go on crackers. Paired that with a Moscato and a Pinot Grigio wine and finished it with candied pecans.<br />
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<br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-72230874942996489732017-11-24T10:22:00.000-08:002017-11-24T10:22:33.224-08:00Motivation & Riding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey guys! So today I want to talk about motivation. What does motivation mean to you? By definition it’s having a reason to act. But for most people it means having some initiative too. For me it means all that plus committing to a result until it’s done. So I guess we could just say motivation, initiative, commitment, and determination are required to make a change for the better. I feel like that recipe holds true in all areas of life.<br />
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But today we are gonna talk about getting fit. “<i>Winter is coming</i>” and “<i>summer bodies are made in the winter</i>”. Winter is also a great opportunity to get your horses fit. It’s cooler out (if not freezing depending on where you live) so you can work longer without the precious pon pons over heating in the first 5 minutes of stepping out into the surface of the sun (that’s how it feels here in Texas anyways).<br />
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Having a buddy is much more motivating than I previously gave it credit for. I realized this when Matthew started committing to working out and eating better consistently again a few weeks ago. Since then I have felt a renewed love for fitness and health. To be honest I was growing disillusioned with it all but now I’m wiser for it and ready to hit it hard again.<br />
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My goal is to lose a little body fat over the next 3 months and then add muscle for the next year.<br />
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We’ve definitely stepped up our workouts. We’ve been tracking macros again and I decided to try intermittent fasting and I love it! I prefer the 16/8 method (fast 16 hours. 8 hour eating window) I usually stop eating at about 8 at night and don’t eat again till noon the next day. I keep my protein up at about 108g a day and I keep my fats moderate to low at about 35g a day mainly for digestive reasons. The rest is carbs of course! Who doesn’t love those!? I only weigh 108lbs so while “cutting” I eat about 1300 calories a day with 1-2 refeed days.<br />
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Unfortunately Fancy has a cold last week and so did Matthew. Funny how they both got sick on the same weekend. Anyways they took it kinda easy for last week but now that they are better I plan on getting Fancy in as much of a routine as we are.<br />
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I really like the method of timing trot and canter sets for conditioning. It helps me track progress and gives me something to see in writing. Although it requires a digital watch and I keep forgetting to pick one up lol.<br />
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Yesterday was Fancy's first ride since she had her cold<br />
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<h3>
Goals</h3>
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<b>Riding:</b></div>
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<li><b>To get Fancy Fit by February</b></li>
<li><b>Improve my balance and heel flexion</b></li>
<li><b>Find my confidence again</b> </li>
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<b>Fitness:</b></div>
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<li><b>To stay consistent with my workouts and diet</b></li>
<li><b>Lose enough body fat by February to show my abs</b></li>
<li><b>Keep up my mental and emotional health</b></li>
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<b><i>Who is with me?!</i></b></div>
Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-39447466672316537122017-10-24T15:57:00.000-07:002017-10-24T15:57:34.814-07:00One Stride At A Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey guys. Sorry it’s been a while. Life is super busy as usual. It’s funny because I don’t actually enjoy <i>being</i> busy. I always feel rushed because there isn’t much margin for error. For instance if I can’t do something today, I can’t just do it tomorrow because there is something else I have to do. Although I have waaaay more than one thing a day to accomplish. I’m sure a lot of you understand the struggle.<br />
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So the first week of October I didn’t get to ride at all because we had family come in to visit. Matt’s brother and his fiancé came down to spend some time with us. It was great. We love her! And him too of course. They are both baseball fanatics/diahard Redsox fans just like Matthew so We surprised them with playoff tickets. It was great since none of us had ever been to a playoff game and it was Redsox vs Astros.<br />
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Once they left to go back home I finally had time to ride again. The first ride was not so great. She seemed pretty chill in the barn so I tacked up and got on. <i>Wrong</i>! She was a mess.. Didn’t wanna slow or stop or anything for that matter. So after trying to be patient for half an hour I got off and lunged her to let her get it all out.<br />
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She seemed to appreciate being able to run. <i>I think the thoroughbred in her is really coming out. </i>But when I brought her back to the barn and sprayed her down I noticed she had a pretty decent nic on the backside of her coronary band on a front leg. I cleaned it up Good and put some wound ointment on it. Personally I’m a fan of letting wounds air out as long as you keep them clean. It seems they heal better and faster that way in my experience with both human and animals. Keep in mind it wasn’t gushing blood or anything. Just a sliver of her coronary band was hanging off and left a raw area open. When I came back the next day it looked <b><i>much</i></b> better! It was no longer raw/sticky. This time I lightly lunged her first. She had no signs of discomfort so I tacked up and rode.<br />
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We tried one of the barn owners dressage saddle which seemed to fit until I took it off after the ride and saw that there were two roughed up dry spots... The ride however was better. Thank goodness! She was still a bit forward and not wanting to back up. And still a bit distracted but it was better and I’ll take that.<br />
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Because of the her mishap with her coronary band I decided to buy her some bell boots because I really don’t want to take any chances. I ordered her some white fleece lined ones I think will look cute. And some hooflex since she has some cracks and feet are a bit dry. I love how Stateline Tack always has some kind of sale. This time it was 25% off my entire order :)<br />
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<h3>
Hot Mess Fance</h3>
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Yesterday I arrived at the barn to find her a hot sweaty mess. None of the other horses looked this way so I automatically thought she must be sick or something! This is the condition I found Twist in when she colicked and died. I rushed to bring her in from the pasture and asked if she had been that way for long. They told me she was probably just hot from the sudden rise in temperature. For two days it was 60-70 degrees and now it’s back to 90. It made sense but still.. Nothing else seemed wrong with her though so I gave her a bath and she seemed 100% herself again. Since she was refreshed and in a good mood again I tacked her up and rode.<br />
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She was <b><i>so good!</i></b> She was much more focused, steady, and happy.<br />
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#WhenFanceDoesntBelieveYourOutOfCarrots<br />
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<h3>
..... A week or so later....</h3>
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I was having trouble again. Fancy wanted to be a giraffe. A quick trip to the equestrian forums of google did not help. Dear god! People are so judgy! One girl with a similar problem was practically harassed and humiliated for not being able to immediately gain control of a horse. But then I found an article on chronicle of the horse (I think) that Laura Graves has written and she had mentioned the accordion exercise. She stressed Being picky about every step in a horse that won’t listen. And to really hone it in at the walk before moving up to trot and so on.<br />
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This helped me get back my one step at a time attitude and when I went to the barn the next day. IT. WORKED.<br />
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Normally I’m pretty easy going/do what you please in warm ups. But not this time. From the moment I got in the saddle I was very precise about what was going to happen. I stayed relaxed and neutral but focused. I did not let her escalate simply stretching into a giraffe pose. She could stretch but as soon as I felt a shift I gathered her up and sent her marching again.<br />
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I continued playing with her strides, asking for shorter and longer ones at walk and trot without letting her take off or giraffe things up for the next few rides and it worked beautifully.<br />
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Matt and Fance bonded a bit too hehe it looks like she is smiling!<br />
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But this past weekend was “<b><i>eventful</i></b>” to say the least and I haven’t been back to the barn yet. I will be writing a separate post about this past weekend next.Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-26043398518004810712017-09-21T16:34:00.000-07:002017-09-21T16:34:33.905-07:00Back Home & Back In The Saddle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past month was hectic to say the least. Finally moved in to the new apartment but still not quite organized again. We went on our trip to Rhode Island and it was <i><b>gorgeous </b></i>as usual.<br />
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Few things compare with sitting silently in silence and immersing yourself in nature's rhythm.<br />
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Reading a book on the gloomy beach was the perfect day for me. It felt like I was finally at peace. Others were concerned about the 12 foot waves. Some where scrambling to make the best of the high swells. I honestly couldn't be bothered by any of it. Yes, I watched the waves and took video. I can't post the video though because I don't have permission from people that are in it :(<br />
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But for me it was more like peering into the dynamic energy of it all and feeling the power in the air rather than seeing it as a toy to have fun with. Perhaps I'm just to up tight to have that much fun. But I respect nature with admiration rather than terror.<br />
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Can you tell I'm feeling a bit more poetic than I have been??? lol I'm getting the urge to write again. But what should I write? Poetry or Fiction? And what about? Horses or non horse stuff? Fantasy or more realistic? Mystery? Drama? <i>Someone help me!....</i><br />
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At last my long awaited return to regular riding has come! I've been horseless for about a year and now I finally have a free lease with this lovely mare Fancy</div>
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I have to say, I don't think she was very fond of me to start with. She wouldn't give me the time of day for the first week. But she is slowly coming around and comes up to me when she see's me. The carrots may have had something to do with it....</div>
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Like I said at first she didn't pay attention to me at all and didn't focus on me or my que's. But after some lunging and one ride she is more attentive to me. Please pardon more horrific equitation <i><b>*face palm*</b></i> that chair seat has got to go! </div>
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I'm actually happy with where we are at despite us both being totally out of practice. It felt like more of a mess than it looks.</div>
<br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-25737458079347640472017-09-05T17:20:00.000-07:002017-09-05T17:20:26.576-07:00Equestrian Skin Care on a Budget!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever noticed how a lot of equestrians have bad skin. It's like we just don't age well! Ok, we don't. Most of us have the joints of a 90 year old by the time we're 25. As equestrians we spend most of our waking hours in the sun. We spend as much time as we can outside with our beloved equines. It's this extensive sun exposure that gives most of us redness, blotches, spots, and wrinkles. I mean just look at mine!<br />
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My skin is no beauty but believe it or not my skin used to be even worse.<br />
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Why does this even happen to our skin??<br />
Put simply. It's sun damage.<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Redness/blotchy skin </b>Can result from almost anything from exercise or sun burn to over exfoliating and harsh cleansers. In any case sun exposure will cause it to flare up.</li>
<li><b>Dark spots </b>Most cases are from sun exposure. There are other reasons such as acne scars or skin diseases. But most dark spots and freckling is from sun exposure. Freckles are genetic as well so it's not as big of a deal. Plus some people like them. But dark spots from long term sun exposure are not a good sign. It's a sign of sun damage. And if your getting that much exposure your definitely at risk for skin cancer.</li>
<li><b>Wrinkles </b>Typically wrinkles are just a sign of age. Don't freak out though. It's bound to happen. It's ok. Embrace the life experience you have earned. But that doesn't mean we should be pruning up in our 20's and 30's just yet! Wrinkles may be natural but they can certainly be accelerated by sun exposure, especially long term due to sun damage and prolonged squinting.</li>
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<b><i>Prevention</i></b></div>
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In my case I only started to think about these things after they appeared. But the sooner you start using preventive measures the better! That doesn't mean avoiding the sun. No need to go all vampire. But be sure to take off ALL your makeup. Wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser. Don't over exfoliate! And wear your sunscreen!! I really can't stress any of this enough. If you stick to it you will thank me for it later. I wish I had listened to my parents about it.</div>
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<b><i>Repair</i></b></div>
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A lot of us though don't have the luxury of preventing what's already happened. Thankfully even though "fully" repairing our skin may not quite be possible we can repair some of the damage and prevent further unnecessary damage. To repair we need products designed with strong ingredients that do their job such as PIC OF FACE REPAIR INGREDIENTS </div>
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For the most part repair is the same steps and preventing but with higher quality products.</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike><br /></strike></div>
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<b><i>Routine</i></b></div>
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Much like diet and exercise, good skin care requires consistency. You need to develop an effective routine you can stick to. I know most of us are way to busy to be bothered with an elaborate skin care regime. But every routine though should include these four basic steps.</div>
<ul>
<li>Cleanse</li>
<li>Treat</li>
<li>Restore</li>
<li>Protect</li>
</ul>
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<b><i>Cleanse</i></b></div>
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This should at least be done once at the end of each day. This is the biggest step in preventing breakouts! If you wear makeup <i>please</i> remove ALL of it before cleansing. Use a gentle cleanser that is water based. Don't scrub too hard. Hard scrubbing irritates the face. Gentle scrubbing is great to exfoliate without irritating.</div>
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My favorite budget cleansers are"</div>
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#1 <a href="http://www.aveeno.com/product/aveeno-+clear+complexion+foaming+cleanser.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn" target="_blank">Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser</a></div>
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It's a gentle foaming cleanser that has really helped prevent breakouts! Plus it's only 6 bucks at Walmart!</div>
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#2 <a href="https://www.amazon.com/LOreal-Paris-Cleansing-Exfoliating-Facial/dp/B002PBCAEQ?th=1" target="_blank">L'OREAL go 360 Clean Ideal Clean Deep Cleansing Exfoliating Scrub</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6iUcp4eE0l9uqQUfrWYTs8-I3ADddNO6yYrBcCQmqRPnzYerR4ACrvULemPmbzyTC6ViFyGo6rVmoA7AmONpFnJb0xcx0f0MRhkbRj6gdh67J5gf3Fu6qjzObSVbo5_1hj4H_Je9DNE/s1600/loreal+wash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6iUcp4eE0l9uqQUfrWYTs8-I3ADddNO6yYrBcCQmqRPnzYerR4ACrvULemPmbzyTC6ViFyGo6rVmoA7AmONpFnJb0xcx0f0MRhkbRj6gdh67J5gf3Fu6qjzObSVbo5_1hj4H_Je9DNE/s320/loreal+wash.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This one is more of a gel cleaner and is more exfoliating. This particular one is under 5 bucks on Amazon. But you can find extremely similar ones (i.e. same thing but changed the label a little) for the same price at any Walmart, Target, or HEB.</div>
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<b><i>Treat</i></b></div>
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After your face is cleansed you are ready to treat it. This is when you can use a product for one or multiple skin concerns such as redness, dark spots, and wrinkles. Usually the treatment is in the form of a serum. I simply drop some on a cotton pad and wipe all over my face.</div>
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My personal favorite serum treatment that treats many issues at once is:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vitamin-Anti-Wrinkle-Niacinamide-Hyaluronic-Salicylic/dp/B01KMSTCWG/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1504655059&sr=1-2&keywords=truskin+vitamin+c+serum" target="_blank">TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Plus Super Serum</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdjxsPL0I9SlXT020nMvkxrA3fFrKfUeLc0WUHaQKgtamL2RCtEGY_jwrAmXUEcRPF1jJatFzt7XyYCig-5L3-DgQ5LqkabLq5ZBhb3ze9eq6MYpEUHfTDN0dZh6GTA_HR5A-leKPeSY/s1600/truskinvitac.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdjxsPL0I9SlXT020nMvkxrA3fFrKfUeLc0WUHaQKgtamL2RCtEGY_jwrAmXUEcRPF1jJatFzt7XyYCig-5L3-DgQ5LqkabLq5ZBhb3ze9eq6MYpEUHfTDN0dZh6GTA_HR5A-leKPeSY/s320/truskinvitac.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I know it's a bit pricey at 24 dollars BUT<b><i> it's worth it!</i></b> because it's a great multi-tasker. Plus it smells great!</div>
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<b><i>Restore</i></b></div>
After treating your skin we need to moisturize it to lock that all in and restore moisture. A lot of moisturizers also have other perks such as anti-oxidants, vitamins, and anti-aging properties.<br />
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My favorite brand is Ponds because they are hypoallergenic and budget friendly. Plus they last forever!<br />
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#1 <a href="http://www.ponds.us/product/detail/95881/rejuveness-anti-wrinkle-cream" target="_blank">Ponds Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sDHqLE1AyNVenmn7_4K6FjRKi0w7Taz9Wpc06LdC_1uh4KbpRLfm4zHpTJbSXoAJ9-jM8Wxy4MdEJNGjwUqMeNNcLdwdmfKHBQN2WdUiyW05daYSMlCpeIgzLyDZ0zozXMnIwygFBLA/s1600/pondsrejuv.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sDHqLE1AyNVenmn7_4K6FjRKi0w7Taz9Wpc06LdC_1uh4KbpRLfm4zHpTJbSXoAJ9-jM8Wxy4MdEJNGjwUqMeNNcLdwdmfKHBQN2WdUiyW05daYSMlCpeIgzLyDZ0zozXMnIwygFBLA/s320/pondsrejuv.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This one <i>really</i> soaks in good. And leaves my face feeling fresh and firm. I got the travel size one for $1.48 at HEB (Target sells it too!) and it lasted 6 months!<br />
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#2 <a href="http://www.ponds.us/product/detail/95876/clarantb3-oily-dark-spot-correcting-cream?ponds+clarant+b3+dark+spot+correcting+cream&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand-Product-EX&utm_term=ponds%20clarant%20b3%20dark%20spot%20correcting%20cream&utm_content=Clarant%20B3%20-%20Normal%20To%20Oily&gclid=CKG8v_Kej9YCFbccfgodRywPEQ&gclsrc=ds" target="_blank">Ponds Clarant B3 Dark Spot Correcting Cream</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLMSs3q-JEh7z2pzFsQcbao6tDUSEGSKa5A2SVw3cL8uZKa4Di4c9GKTMV4iXkLhEWz2QcYzV0rTzfyhp92TvFAfqzqUDAXOcnF7SxgAYEgNpjXAqpmPJz13SriLlro_XEExTLlNb0Jk/s1600/pondscolorcorrect.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLMSs3q-JEh7z2pzFsQcbao6tDUSEGSKa5A2SVw3cL8uZKa4Di4c9GKTMV4iXkLhEWz2QcYzV0rTzfyhp92TvFAfqzqUDAXOcnF7SxgAYEgNpjXAqpmPJz13SriLlro_XEExTLlNb0Jk/s320/pondscolorcorrect.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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A little goes a long way on this one. And it really did help my redness! I got mine for about 8 bucks at Walmart. There are two variations Normal to Dry skin (what I got) or Normal to Oily skin. P.S. It <i>lasts FOREVER!</i><br />
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<b><i>Protect</i></b><br />
<b><i></i></b>After moisturizing you're going to need to protect your skin. This is likely the most important step in preventing damage! Always wear an SPF. Be sure to use one that is not going to break you out though. I struggle with this as regular sunscreen usually makes me break out. Usually one made for your face specifically are a safe bet. Or alternatively, if you wear makeup consider using a foundation/BB/CC that has SPF in it.<br />
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For non makeup days I use <a href="http://www.aveeno.com/product/aveeno+protect+-+hydrate-+lotion+sunscreen+with+broad+spectrum+spf+30.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn" target="_blank">Aveeno Active naturals Protect + Hydrate</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGCmZvJkuIfAyPJSx6VM719MS4AOoPUVHcg-apiO5EqE6vEw13iYq0p8ENPrIbcgHizWYdNpvXnKG-uRWwTObCIWJuBXmwTfYVvodM032R8oRR_Yf8SfRwBvTmA0vC28cD8TpV437e5c/s1600/aveenospf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGCmZvJkuIfAyPJSx6VM719MS4AOoPUVHcg-apiO5EqE6vEw13iYq0p8ENPrIbcgHizWYdNpvXnKG-uRWwTObCIWJuBXmwTfYVvodM032R8oRR_Yf8SfRwBvTmA0vC28cD8TpV437e5c/s320/aveenospf.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I haven't had any issues with breakouts using this product. I don't have to use a lot of it. And it's affordable for 7 bucks at Walmart.<br />
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If I want to wear makeup I'm currently using <a href="https://www.physiciansformula.com/catalog/product/view/id/1357" target="_blank">Physicians Formula Super CC</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp71nC1vRvHuJ_UT2T4tr7q9jpqek7qJ7CvpNg7H_LQ1rtD4GQLVq8-2NNejY7i68uitMn6JdFNeaiasnW8yp03dlYI2A1pEVQ9mLU4x1_8F43NyfY-aVQNISwZFW9CjeS5fkeBugjOXs/s1600/pfcc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp71nC1vRvHuJ_UT2T4tr7q9jpqek7qJ7CvpNg7H_LQ1rtD4GQLVq8-2NNejY7i68uitMn6JdFNeaiasnW8yp03dlYI2A1pEVQ9mLU4x1_8F43NyfY-aVQNISwZFW9CjeS5fkeBugjOXs/s320/pfcc.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I always wait to buy this stuff when it's on sale. It's not too thick or runny and blends very nicely. I got mine for 6 bucks at CVS on one of their spend 16 dollars get 10 back deals. Or you can get it for about 13 bucks at Walmart.<br />
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These are just my favorite finds because they work for me. They are budget friendly. And are a little better than other more toxic options. But you do and <i>find</i> what works for you! You may prefer something entirely different because each persons skin has different needs and preferences.<br />
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But whatever you choose to do done forget <b>CLEANSE. TREAT. RESTORE. PROTECT.</b><br />
<b></b><i></i><i></i><br />Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2286482131941846224.post-50321381524178382502017-08-27T12:06:00.001-07:002017-08-27T12:06:25.212-07:00Don't Be Ashamed<div style="text-align: left;">
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Being the poor kid at the barn is nothing to be ashamed of! Same goes for us adults too. It's not easy. But you will learn a lot of life lessons from it. And honestly especially as equestrians we know we are never done learning. We are the blood and sweat of the equestrian world. Teams are supported by working students. They are the glue that keeps the team together. Literally sometimes! <br />
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The kid that couldn't afford a<i> "made"</i> show pony and had to buy a scraggly rescue with some baggage had to learn how to train a horse. That's a skill that push button horse riders don't get to acquire. They may get more ribbons but learning to <i>"make"</i> your own horse is worth a thousand ribbons.<br />
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Maybe you look like the class hobo with 20 dollar breeches and a tee shirt with boots that are a little to short because you can't afford custom. Don't worry about that. Worry about your riding. Clothes don't make the rider. Be proud that you are there doing the <u>same things</u> they are without having to be well off in life. That <i>is</i> an accomplishment!<br />
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Do you get shamed for not having<i> the best equipment? </i>As long as your horse is comfortable and cared for you have nothing to be ashamed of! Your horse doesn't <i>need</i> a pad and polos in every color under the sun. Sure a nicer quality saddle custom fitted to your horse would sure feel luxurious. But that's it. It's a luxury. Not a<i> need</i>. If his saddle isn't hurting him then it's just fine.<br />
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Are you the only one that doesn't <i>"own"?</i> Welcome to the club! Owning a horse does NOT make you a better rider. Plenty of top riders don't own their rides. It sure is nice but at least you don't have to pay their vet bills or board for that matter.<br />
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Maybe you feel like the odd ball for not being able to show every weekend like everyone else. Just do what you can! And more importantly only show if you want to. You may want to, but you can't afford it. Perhaps you can set small goals to start and show once or twice a year. Chances are you already have a job. But if you don't maybe getting one would enable you to show. If you already have a job though and still can't afford to show don't despair. You might get a better job later. But even if nothing changes and you can't show at all just be patient. Showing is in essence spending a lot of money to get a ribbon. Yes, it is fun and can teach you some life lessons. It is a great experience. But it's not what makes you a good rider.<br />
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In my opinion</h3>
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Being a dead broke equestrian is a real test of character. It would be so easy to give up. Like I said, it's not for the faint of heart. It takes a strong person to persevere in something with so much against you. The horse world is stereotyped as elitist for a reason. Because you <i>do</i> usually have to be rich to get anywhere. But again, are the rich really happy? I honestly don't know! And I don't care! I'm sure some are and some aren't. But I'm determined to focus on myself and find happiness in my present circumstances whether they might change for the better or not. <br />
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Sometimes I look at the fancy horses and I genuinely wish I could afford them. But I am not ashamed of the rescue ponies I've ridden. One of <i><u>the</u></i> most satisfying things is to improve a horse so much through training that it begins to vaguely (or sometimes be a spitting image) resemble those fancy mounts.<br />
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How to deal with doubt</h3>
Self-doubt is your worst enemy. It has caused me so much heartache, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Perhaps because of something someone said, or how you've been treated, or even just an inner sense of worthlessness you doubt your abilities or your ability to succeed. If you're like me, it's all of the above.<br />
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But how can you overcome this?<br />
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Reflection. Always reflect on where you started. Reflect on what you have done. On the things you've learned, the challenges you've faced, and the success you have had no matter how small it may seem. All those things may seem small and insignificant but the aren't! They all add up. Continue adding to them every day. One day they will build up to something you never thought you'd achieve.<br />
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Don't give up!</h3>
You will face challenges. You will have doubt. You will have times when you feel like it's impossible. Times where you don't see any way it could possibly work. Don't give up though! No matter what, just like you add leg stride by stride, keep pushing day by day to overcome everything in your way.<br />
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Look for positive individuals and support each other. We all need help in one way or another. Moral support is one of the best things someone (including you) can offer because it costs you nothing! Yet, it can change another persons view of themselves for the better. Which in turn can change their life over time.<br />
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Don't ever be ashamed of being a poor or even dead broke equestrian. And don't ever give up on something you love so much. That's why I created this blog! To offer support to those like me. Dead. Broke. Equestrians. Together, we can achieve so much!<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Gabriela Medeiroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17105000698818044491noreply@blogger.com0