To ride dressage is to dance with your horse, equal partners in the delicate and sometimes difficult work of creating harmony and beauty.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Living dangerously

Heh. As if getting on a trained horse in an enclosed arena and riding around at a walk after lunging is dangerous. I'm either getting old or wise.

The dangerous part is that Brian went to work with Rick today, so I am home alone (with a lot to do; what am I doing here? Oh yeah; documenting!). The forecast showers hadn't moved in yet, so I decided to tack up Larry and lunge him in my saddle. Since he is so slight, I used my CorrecTOR to improve my saddle's fit for him (even used my CorrecTOR saddle pad). I have both because years ago Russell and I were sponsored by Len Brown, the inventor of the CorrecTor and the founder of the Ortho-Flex saddle company. Russell was my "prince and the pea" horse and he didn't like the CorrecTOR, but it is an excellent saddle fitting system for many horses and Rick has distributed quite a few to clients for Len.

Anyway, after lunging him as usual (during which I managed to capture some good shots - like all four off the ground in the third and fourth!)
you know I had to get on and ride him around. :-) My legs belong around a horse! Larry was very good, other than not knowing that my horses are expected to stand by the arena fence for mounting, so that I don't have to torque the saddle tree by putting weight in a stirrup.

Now I'd better get to work on inside stuff....

7 comments:

cheyenne jones said...

He certainly looks willing.

C-ingspots said...

He's cute! I think he moves nicely too, from what I can tell in the pics anyway. Glad you got another horse!! Yay!!!! Wish you'd come get on Eagle for me...I need to just do it already!!

Laura said...

Back in the saddle again, out west where a friend is a friend...

Now I'll bet you won't get that out of your head for days!!

Yay that you rode him - and he does look very nice under saddle. I'm going to have the same issue (not standing for mounting) with Tang. Something to work on...

Marie said...

He carries himself nicely. Can't wait to see what he looks like in a couple of months! Good for you for getting on him. I hear ya on the older, wiser thing. I never used to worry about getting on a horse when no one was around, but it is always in the back of my head now when I go alone.

Anonymous said...

Love his action, and the way he's paying attention to you. He looks happy to be worked knowledgeable person.

Mary Ann said...

Oh my gosh.. thank you for letting on you don't spring up into the saddle still! So appreciative of that... was just discussing it this week with another fellow former rider!

Theresa said...

You certainly got some wonderful shots. He's going to be lovely when he fills out again!
I've heard good things about the CorrecTOR system. Nice to know someone who actually uses it. I have one of the older original Ortho-flex dressage saddles and it works well on Nick.
Glad you got a ride in. How fun!!