Fast Reno

 Today for my lesson, I rode Reno again. Although I didn't ride in the round pen, I did a whole lot of trotting and rode without having Meghan help to guide Reno. I started by warming up with two laps at the walk. Then, I began trotting. At first, I only trotted around the corners, walking the rest of the way. I gradually worked up to trotting even longer distances. After doing a few laps with just trotting around the corners, I began trotting along the short sides of the arena, then walking again until I reached the other side. Meghan made sure I kept Reno, who often strayed to the inside of the arena, along the rail.

 Reno also showed me a side I have not seen before. Usually, he prefers to keep at a walk and has be encouraged a little to stay trotting. This time, however, he was eager to trot, and often began trotting at random times when I was supposed to be walking. He even added several canter strides randomly throughout the lesson, catching me off guard. The saying that says something along the lines of "Every ride you ride a different horse," really is true. Depending on the time of day and the mood the horse is, your ride can very different.

 Anyways, by the end of the lesson, I had worked up to trotting a consecutive lap all the way around the arena---twice!  I am really excited about that and feel pretty accomplished. Hopefully I can trot just as much next week, too.

 Meghan had pointed out several things I need to think more about next time I trot. She had to remind me to keep my shoulders back throughout the lesson, as well as to not lean forward too much, which makes Reno want to go faster. I'll have to keep this in mind and write it in my journal.

 I have some pictures of Silver Rose Ranch, the 60 acre ranch where I take lessons. I have only been to the front part, where the barn, arena, hay storage, round pen, and several pastures, covered outdoor stalls, and paddocks are. I think further along the trail I ride on to cool down is a house. I'll post some pcitures and give you a tour in another post.