Like Pieces of a Puzzle

 Friday I rode Moe again. Unfortunately, I won't be able to work out something with Ronnie as it looks now, but my plan that I mentioned in an earlier post may help. Again stay tuned because it's almost ready.

For most of my lesson, I was focusing on relaxing my body, keeping my legs soft and sit up tall with my shoulders back. I started out by doing simple leg yields from quarter line to the rail on a loose rein. At first, since by body was tense I ended up twisting my entire body and letting my position slip each time I leg yielded, rather than simple apply more pressure with my inside leg. As I rode, I thought I lot about my position, and my leg becoming much better. I began gripping Moe with the inside of my calf, not my knee. I was also sitting up taller. Once I had sorted out my balance, I cantered right.

 After the canter, which I did at a circle at C, I focused on balancing Moe with half halts, asking for roundness, and keeping her at a constant, steady tempo. She tends to anticipate doing more cantering after the first time cantering, so I had keeping her from breaking into canter. I started to develop a feel for when she was about to speed up and half halted accordingly. After working on this for quite a bit, I managed to get a really nice balanced trot.

 Once I did, I tried to repeat that during the dressage test, which went smoothly. I didn't do the canter left, but the canter right was really nice and Meghan said it was the best it's been with me riding her. She was balanced, not taking off and went a nice tempo. It's amazing how nicely things go once the small(but important) details are sorted out. I had also recently read an article about the arms, hands, and outside rein, which helped my a lot because I struggle with the same thing the author of the article does.

 At the end of the lesson, I did the leg yield on a loose rein from quarter line to the rail. The difference was amazing! I was more relaxed and confident and only had to use a light squeeze with my inside leg to push Moe over. My body was straight and moving my leg didn't affect the rest of my body at all.

 Monday, Moe was pretty relaxed, except she freaked out a bit when I got on because I may have put my toe in her on accident. She quickly moved sideways, away from the mounting block. Before riding Chester I might have fallen, but I've developed a better seat since I started riding him in June from learning to ride him through his challenges.

 I did a similar thing, starting with leg yields and then riding on a serpentine, canter in the middle. Moe didn't pick up the correct lead heading left, so I tried again on the way back, and when she still didn't, Meghan told to me do a diagonal and serpentine the other way. The other way around, I go a nice canter, and made a circle at E rather than moving on to the next part of the serpentine. I focused on sitting deep in the saddle rather than leaving air between my bum and the saddle. I managed to get it for a few strides and felt much more secure.

 Practicing the test went smoothly, too. and I even got Moe to pick up the left lead. To finish, I did leg yields in the trot. Several of them were really nice and smooth--it felt great. Meghan also said that my elbows were much better Monday! It also feels great that the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to come together. My position is improving, my seat is becoming more independent, and the smaller details are coming together now that I can fairly confidently walk, trot, and canter and have control over the horse.
P.S. Couldn't post the pictures yet.

New Years and Christmas Eve Rides

I haven't done much riding these past few weeks with Christmas and New Years going on, but I did ride on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Christmas Eve, I rode Ronnie in the arena outside of a lesson for the first time. When I was getting, she wasn't wanting to stand still and was impatient, so my more experienced friend Maddie lead her around one side of the arena with me on, then gave me advice. She said to keep Ronnie on a loose rein and not be nervous.

 Surprisingly, Ronnie was just the opposite for the rest of t he ride and needed a lot of leg to go forward. However, her canter was really nice. It was balanced, without being too fast or slow, and I kept her on the 20 meter circle without using my outside hand. It felt great and was one of those rides I didn't want to end.

 New Year's Eve, I rode Moe instead. I was geared up in my new boots, breeches, and belt that I had got for Christmas. Moe was relaxed and wasn't her usual racehorse fast self. It took my a bit to get used to my new boots, but by the end of the lesson, I was even gripping with calves, which I have been struggling with these past two months.

 I wasn't able to get left lead canter, which Moe has some difficulty with. She's likely sore on one side because she's an older horse. When she gave right lead on a left circle, I simply made a diagonal to fix it. At one point she cross cantered and it was hard to maintain my balance,so I returned to trot and changed direction to canter right instead.

 At the end of my lesson, I practiced my dressage test, Training Level 1. It went very well, except for the left lead canter part. Moe just wouldn't canter left. Only just before the canter was supposed to be over did she canter on the left lead for a few strides. I patted and praised her, then completed the test,which went smoothly the rest of the way.

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. and have a great 2015! Also I have something exciting planned but won't let the cat out of the bag until February so stay tuned!I'm just getting the last few details planned out.

More on Getting Moe on the Bit

 I had a nice ride Friday, even though Moe started out by being nervous to pass a small dog. To remedy this, Meghan had me ride only in the far half of the arena, turning at E or B, depending on which way I was going, rather than by the dog. As Moe got calmer and I began to grip with my calves, pushing her forwards and putting her on the bit, I began to turn closer to that end, finally using the whole arena.

This one is nice!

 For a lot of the lesson, I worked on putting her on the bit as I rode,  making her go forward enough to do so. She wasn't as speedy as she often is, so I had to push her forward into the connection. I also had to work on holding the outside rein so that her head wouldn't go to the inside when I squeezed the inside rein. Once my position is in order, Moe is forward, and I'm hold enough outside rein, I am able to get her to look quite nice, though it takes a lot of work. I was able to get her to come round for short parts of the lesson, and even kept her on the bit once around the arena and across a diagonal.

 My canter is coming along nicely, too. I have more control and can keep Moe in a nice, collected canter while on the bit for a lot of the time. I cantered her down the long side of the arena, making a half circle at B to head back to C, where I had asked for the canter depart.  After doing this several times with trot in between, I asked for the left lead canter on the circle. Moe didn't give it after a few tries, so I worked on something else.

 I went up centerline, tracking right, then making a diagonal at K. Then at E, I made a half 10 meter circle to centerline, leg yielding to M. I made another diagonal and did a couple more half 10 meter circles, diagonals, and leg yields. I didn't manage to get Moe straight in the leg yield at first, but I straightened her. Meghan had created this test using some First Level movements so I could practice them.

 Another one I did went like this: I trotted up centerline, which I had to do twice because I hadn't put Moe on the bit, but once I had gone successfully up centerline, on the bit, I tracked left, making a 20 meter circle at E. Then, at A, I asked for canter left, making sure my leg was back s Moe would pick up the correct lead. She did, and I made a diagonal at H, trotting at X. I did the same thing the other after a free walk.

I love the angle of this one.

 After I had put Moe away, I helped Meghan clean paddocks, then went home. I had a productive lesson, though I still need to work on keeping my toes straight and calves on. A lot of other parts, including controlling the canter and putting the horse on the bit are coming together.

Be Soft

 Moe was much more calmer for this lesson. In fact, I had to push her so she would be going forward enough to get on the bit, something I worked with a lot this lesson. I worked both on a circle and on the straight, in both directions. Even though Moe was calmer, I still had trouble getting her on the bit. She wanted to put her head up in the air, but I continued asking her to lower her and become round. It can be difficult to push the horse forward, while still thinking about having outside connection and inside flexion, using your inside leg to keep her on the circle. When I softened my aids a lot more, gently alternating which rein I squeezed, I was able to get her to become round for a few moments. I patted her, praised her, I stopped asking until she raised her head again.

Canter left.

 Another thing I did was ride down the long side at the walk, halting at each letter. While halted, I gently squeezed the inside rein to get her to drop her head. Then, I would gently squeeze her with calves, using primarily my voice to get her walk on, stopping when I reached the next letter and repeating.

Walking on a shortened rein to get her on the bit.

 When I returned to trot, Moe was much more responsive and willing. I made a 20 meter circle to the right, and asked for canter. Moe picked up the left lead instead, but Meghan said to use that opportunity to make a short diagonal to E, then a half circle to change directions. I half halted to keep her at a comfortable pace, because now that we were cantering. Moe was becoming her usual energetic self. Moe ended up returning to trot when I momentarily lost my balance. I asked for canter, then made another short diagonal to canter right.

Part of my nice, calm canter.

 It was when I cantered to the right on circle that I did really well. I focused on sitting up straight and deep in the saddle, keeping my calves on and outside leg back, and on half halting the outside rein while squeezing the inside rein to keep her on the circle. It felt amazing! Moe was in a smooth, collected canter that was neither fast or slow. Meghan said I looked very good! However, as I focused on keeping my position correct and aids effective, the geometry of me circle began to slack. I pushed Moe out to the correct parts, and once I had made an entire correct circle, I returned to trot.

 The lesson felt very productive, despite the fact that Moe wasn't as easy to get on the bit as she often is. I just need to focus on gripping with calves more, softening my elbows, and keeping my toes straight. My left foot seems to always point slightly out, so I need to practicing refining my position and keeping my feet straight without letting the rest of my position slip.

Give and Take

 For my ride yesterday, Moe was extremely energetic and all go, acting as if she was half her age. When I walked her she wanted to trot, and when I was finally ready trot, she was ready to canter or just speed away, becoming all twisted and crooked when I tried to slow her down. She had so much go that Meghan had to get on her to slow her down and to show me how best to handle such a situation. My trainer usually doesn't get on and has done so only once before, when Chester was giving me some trouble. Nevertheless it was a good learning experience to watch my trainer ride.

 Rather than using pulling the reins every time Moe sped up or tried to canter, Meghan half halted with her seat and gently pulled the outside rein. Whenever Moe slowed down, Meghan rewarded her with softness, telling me to do the same. Riding has a lot to do with giving and taking, and it is essentially to learn when to do which to get the desired result.

Cantering for real now!

 I remounted, keeping all this advice in mind, and focused on keeping my hands soft and light while I rode Moe on a circle to the right, Meghan said I looked really good and soft when I first got on. Whenever Moe tried to take off, I held the outside rein, softening my connection when she responded by slowing down.

Here's the cute one.

Making funny faces while being groomed!

 After doing this for a bit. I asked for canter right on a circle. Moe picked up the left lead, strangely enough as she usually prefers the right left, so I did a simple change the pick up the correct lead. As I rode, I focused on sitting deep in the saddle, keeping my outside leg back, and half halting the outside rein to keep her at a comfortable pace.



 Even though I had to spend the entire lesson keeping Moe under control, it was a good learning experience, because after all, challenging horses teach you a lot. Not every horse I'll ever ride will be easy.

Rolling--right after I gave her a thorough grooming

She looks so cute laying down.

 After I gave Moe a thorough grooming because she was very sweaty, dirty, and hasn't been trimmed yet, Moe decided to roll, the first time I've seen her do so.

Great Ride on Moe!

 I had a great ride on Moe yesterday for my lesson. I was a lot more balanced and was gripping with my calf rather than my knee as I had found myself doing during my last lesson. Also, I was a lot more relaxed and so was Moe, though she was still just as speedy as usual.

I love this one!

 Throughout my lesson, I asked her come round and on the bit, working on that the entire lesson. I rode her around the dressage arena at the trot, changing directions several times and asking her to drop her head. When it came time to canter, I sat back, asked for the transition, and managed to get a left lead canter on a 20 meter circle. As I cantered, I held the outside rein to slow her down. The second time I cantered, she picked up the right lead rather than the left lead, so I made a diagonal and circled to the right on the other side of arena instead.

Toward the end of the lesson, I tried one of the new Training Level dressage tests, the 2015 Training Level Test 2. I gathered up my reins at A, then circled, gradually shortening the reins as I circled until Moe had lowered her head and relaxed. Then I went up centerline, Besides Moe not picking up the correct lead on the left lead canter part, the test when smoothly and seemed like one of the best tests I've done. Moe was relaxed and wasn't taking off. In fact she was going quite slow, probably because I had shortened the reins to get her to lower her head and become round.

 One of her best traits is her walk. She has an excellent, smooth walk, with her legs reaching forward and her hips swinging. If she went to a show, she'd likely get a ten for her walk---it's that nice.

The test went like this: Up centerline, X halt salute. C track right. At B 20 meter circle, at K across the diagonal, then canter between C and H. As I said this is where we had the problem of Moe not picking up the correct lead, so I returned to trot to try again. When she still didn't pick up the correct lead, Meghan said to go ahead and stay in counter-canter. I made a 20 meter circle at E, then before K returned to trot. I made a circle at A, then I free walked a loop from F to X to M, then trotted again, circled left at E, made a diagonal at H, cantered before M, circled at B, then returned to trot and turned up centerline.

  I had a great ride and test, and Meghan said that I had done great. It was a much more successful ride than last time, when I first rode after some time off.

This is what winter riding clothes looks like in California.

First Ride at the New Place!

  I finally had my first lesson since the end September. As you may recall, all the horses have been moved from Silver Rose after it was sold and now live at a place called Third Day Farms, a nice eventing facility. It's a beautiful place with nice white fencing surrounding each of the paddocks and arenas. The barn is a beautiful white with a green roof, and the stalls inside have small turnouts attached to them for the horses to be turned out. All the horses from Silver Rose seem to be near each other, in the paddocks behind the barn and next to the dressage arena.

The barn, which you face as you come in.

Turnout for the horses in the barn, which is to the left of the barn if you are facing the front.

Dressage arena, which you reach after you pass on the left side of the barn.

The round pen is in front of the barn.

the jumping arena is in front of and to the right of the barn,

 When I arrived, Meghan showed me where everything is. Moe is on the end right next to the dressage arena. Also nearby are two sheds, where the tack is stored. I grabbed Moe, tying her up next to the shed, not in the barn---everyone tacks up outside, right next to the tack shed. Fall is here, so Moe was looking quite fluffy. I was also using a new intercom that my trainer now uses in lessons. All her students now wear earphones during the lesson so she can talk directly to them rather than shouting across the arena.

The paddocks that are across from the jumping arena.

The paddocks where the lesson horses are. Just turn left when you reach the turn in the picture above, pass those paddocks and make one more left turn, and these are on the right.

The tack sheds, which are across from the paddocks pictured above.

 My riding wasn't the best; I had to spend the whole lesson reviewing basic things and getting used to riding after a month break(well I have been riding the pony but not very much). For some reason I had trouble putting my leg on Moe, gripping with my knees instead, stuggling for balance as I flopped around. I felt tense the entire time. As I rode around the arena and on circles and serpentines, I focused on using my calves, pushing Moe forward and balancing with me seat, not on the bit. Of course Moe was becoming tense and worried because of the way I was riding.

Fuzzy horse!

My position looks pretty nice here.

 Around halfway through the lesson, Meghan asked me if I was comfortable cantering. I said that I was, and made a 20 meter circle to the right. I took a deep breath, then asked for the canter. I had to ask a couple times because I was unbalanced. Once I was cantering I finally began to relax and focused on enjoying the canter, which really helped. I softened my hands and sat deep in the saddle. At one point I felt a strange change in her gait, realizing that Moe had done a flying lead change, either because she just wanted to or from conflicting aids, I'm not sure. Either way, it's cool I experienced my first flying change even if it was by accident.

My favorite from yesterday's lessons. It also looks the part where my riding was best that lesson.

 After a few circles, I trotted and tried cantering left, also on a circle. Moe sometimes has trouble picking up the left lead, but she picked it up nicely after just a couple tries. It went smoothly, but after several circles I lost my balance and she fell out of canter, not picking up the correct lead again. Instead of trying many more times, Meghan had me change directions and canter right several more times.

 To end my lesson I rode past the front of the barn, around the corner to the left, through a path that went between to groups of paddocks, and around to the left again, past the tack sheds where I had tacked Moe up at. This path is quite a bit shorter than the one at Silver Rose, but it was nice going around and exploring the new place. Afterward I hosed Moe off at the wash rack, which is next to the jumping arena near the barn. It's a neat place; I like it.

 Hopefully by my next lesson I will get back into things again. For now I am riding just once a week though.

Last Ride at Silver Rose

 Last Wednesday, the 24th, was my last ride and my last time at Silver Rose. In spite of that, I had a nice ride on Moe. I started the lesson like last time, when I rode her across several diagonals to get her completely warmed up and ready to start working. I asked for a some connection and worked with getting her one the bit. Because of all her dressage training, it's not very hard to get her on the bit if I continue to ask until she responds. She doesn't stay on the bit for long periods at a time, so when she puts her head up I just ask again until she once more connects.

 Before cantering I rode her in a spiraling circle, like I have been doing, until she slowed down and felt responsive. Then, I asked for canter, cantering on the circle, around the arena, then back to the circle again. I tried getting her to canter on the left lead, and she responded correctly.

 I also tried Training Level Test 2, which I have not done before, on her. Unlike Test 3, which contains several loops, this test consists mostly of several diagonals. Rather than heading left, I tracked left, then made a 20 meter circle at B, riding across the diagonal to M once I reached K. Between C and H I cantered left, rode a 20 meter circle at E, then between E and I returned Moe to the trot. I rode a 20 meter stretchy circle at a, and then between A and F I went to the walk. I rode a free walk FXM loop, then at C trotted. At E I circled left, and at F rode across to H, canter right at C.  I circled right at B, returned to trot, then went down centerline.


 The test went well, except Moe didn't pick up the left lead for the first canter part. Afterward I hacked her around the property for the last time. I had a great ride, but it was a bit sad to be leaving that wonderful place fore the last time. The new places seem pretty nice, and the one where the lessons horses are going has a monthly schooling show, so it will be a nice place to do my first show. My first lesson will be on the 20th of October, after everything settles down.
Also, take a look at Viva Carlos giveaway.

More Moe Lessons!

 For my last two lessons, I rode Moe again to get a better feel for her and learn more. Since she is trained in dressage I work on keeping her on the bit the entire ride, except when walking, As you may remember, she gets a little sore sometimes from being older and can't always pick up the left lead(she has a nice counter canter though), but both Saturday and Monday I was able to get the correct lead several times. Fortunately she isn't as difficult to ride on the incorrect as Chester is.

 Last Saturday I worked her around the dressage arena, trying to get her on the bit. Moe willingly gets on the bit for the most part, even if she doesn't always hold it for very long. After working for several minutes I was able to get her on the bit, and there were several times that felt really nice. Moe was connected and went at a steady pace that wasn't too fast or slow.

 For my first ride on Moe I had only rode on a small circle while I got used to her since she is very fast, but Saturday I rode a 20 meter circle and even on the straight. First, though I worked on a 20 meter trot circle at E to the right, slowing spiraling it in and out using my weight to balance Moe and bring her to a steady, slow pace. When it seemed like to was about to walk, I would spiral the out. Then I made it a bit smaller and asked for the canter right. I made a circle, spiraling it to a 20 meter then heading down the side of the arena toward F, around the corner, and back onto my circle once I reached E. Though Moe's canter is fast, it's not intimidating after riding Chester, who can challenging as I mentioned before, and I was able to make it collected with some half-halts.

 I did the same exercise to the left, but I took several tries to get the correct lead. When I did I rode her on several 20 meter circles. I was using a bit to much inside rein because of her speed, something I need to try not to do before it becomes a habit.

Trying a leg yield.

 I also did some leg yields on her. Once I had my position, reins, and legs correct, I was able to get some beautiful leg yields. I tried them in both directions, both over short distances, from centerline to E or B, or over long distances all the to P or V. Moe's leg yields feel nice and I can really tell that her legs are stretching in front of the other legs. It's a wonderful feeling.

 Next, I rode through my Training Level test. The pattern was correct, but I was focused so much on the pattern itself that I didn't connect Moe to the bit.

 I did better at it on the following Monday. The lesson started out similarly with me riding Moe in the arena and connecting her to the bit. Moe was much faster at trotting that day, even more so than in previous lessons but I was able to control her. I rode across short diagonals several times, changing directions quite often throughout the lesson. While I rode I worked on getting Moe on the bit. Sometimes she would lift her head up or turn to the inside when I wasn't using enough outside rein or when I she wasn't connecting, but I continued to ask and was able to get her on the bit many times.

 Next I cantered. Like in my previous lesson, I rode the spiraling exercise before asking for the canter transition, and when I cantered right I went around the short side of the arena and back onto my circle at E. For the left canter, Moe didn't canter on the correct lead, so I tried an exercise to get her to pick up the correct lead. I would ask for canter right, head toward F, the across the diagonal K to B so I would be heading left. At B, I would trot, then ask for canter almost right away. This caused Moe to pick up the left lead on the circle. I didn't get the same result the next time since Moe realized what would happen.

 Soon after I began my Training Level test. Besides not getting the left canter, it went well. The pattern was correct and Moe was on the most of the time. The best part was probably the the free walk---Moe has a nice one and likely picked up a lot of free walk points when she was a show horse.

 I had a nice two lessons. The cool thing is that Meghan says Moe seems to like me. It's a neat to have a horse, especially a mare like you. Meghan also says that I rode Moe well, and not everyone does because of her Thoroughbred speed. I'm going to ride Moe in lessons from no on, so it's nice that my rides on her have started out well.

Volunteering with Buddy Systems Therapy Riding and a Quick Ride on Chester

 Yesterday evening I volunteered with the Buddy Systems, a therapy riding program that my trainer, Meghan, helps run. Ginger, Reno, and Moe, the lesson horses, are the ones that are usually used for Buddy Systems. This time, Milo, a grey OTTB that just entered the program, was used as well.

 Mom and I were first with Moe and a girl named Kristen. Another woman led Moe(a halter is put over each horse's bridle), while Mom and I walked along the sides, supporting the girl. We walked around the arena several times, taught the riders a few stretches, then played a quick game with them. Each team led their horse and rider to one of the many buckets that hung on the fence. The rider would would grab an item from the bucket, and then the team would lead the rider over their own bucket. The rider would drop the item into the bucket before the team went to get another item. When the game was over, the riders dismounted one by one.

 A little later, the next session started. Milo had been put away, but Moe, Ginger, and Reno remained. This time, my mom and I were sidewalkers for Reno and his rider. One green and one red button, which the rider would press to tell us to stop and go, were affixed  to his saddle. After walking around the arena for a little bit, we once again played the fun game. All the riders seemed to enjoy it. At the end, we played red light, green light, with each team only stopping and going when the rider pressed the correct button(red to stop and green to go). I really enjoyed helping out and seeing how much the riders enjoyed being on a horse.

 After the Buddy Systems was over, I grabbed Chester and went for a quick evening ride to get to know him better. I rode him along the perimeter of the arena at the walk twice and did some walk-halt transitions. Then I made a trot circle around Meghan, riding it several times. Then I changed directions, heading to the right. There were a couple times when I didn't turn him all the way and he walked with his hindquarters to the wall, but it was otherwise great.

 A few minutes later, I dismounted and let my mom ride, as Meghan had suggested earlier this week so Mom can see if she likes Chester as well. My mom rode when she was my age, by stopped when she became an adult. Now that I am riding, she wants to get back into it again, which would be possible if I lease Chester.

 Since she hadn't been on a horse in a while, Mom just walked around for a couple of minutes. When she was done, she let me lead Chester back to the barn to untack and groom him. I then put him away so he could enjoy his dinner.

First Riding Lesson!!!

 Saturday I had my first ever riding lesson! It was so awesome; I was smiling the whole time.

 When I arrived at Silver Rose Ranch, where I would be taking the lesson, Meghan, my instructor, came up to talk to me. To my surprise and delight, she told me I would be getting my horse from the paddock. That made me really excited because I had been hoping to tack my horse as well as ride it. We walked around the barn, passing lots of bales of hay. On the way to the paddock, we stopped to remove the blanket of a grey OTTB in a small fenced area. Then, we reached three paddocks that were side by side. In one was Moe, a dark bay. Moe had once been a 3rd level dressage horse before her owner went away to college. Ginger, a chestnut jumper, was in the middle pen. Reno was in the last pen.

 Reno is a bay ex-Western pleasure currently used as a therapy horse. His calmness made him perfect for a first-time rider like myself. Meghan explained that I would start out by riding Reno, then as I progressed, I could move up to Ginger then Moe. After her explaination, we both entered Reno's paddock. Meghan taught me how the put the halter on. Once I did that, I led Reno to the barn and hooked him in the cross-ties. When he was securely hooked in, the two of us went to the talk room to bring out his gear. First, we got his grooming bucket. Meghan demonstrated how to groom him and how to safely walk behind. I groomed him a little, picked his hooves, and began to tack him. We started with his boots. I learned how to put them on properly. Next, we brought out the saddle pads(we used to:a fleece one and the regular one). I admit, I put the regular white one upside down at first, and Meghan had to correct me. Once the pads were on the right way, we fetched the saddle and girth. We put those on before grabbing a helmet, the bridel, and the reins. Surprisingly, the first helmet I tried fit comfortably. Yay! Meghan told me parents and I a little about fitting a helmet before teaching me how to put the bridle on and how to get the horse to open his mouth. We were then all tacked up.

 I led Reno to a large mounting block, one Meghan used for beginners to easily hop into the saddle. I mounted and was ready to roll. I learned about proper EQ---head up, heels down, back straight---all that good stuff. I started by learning to stop and go. Then, Meghan introduced steering. she also taught me about tightening the reins to make a horse stop if he just keeps on moving. After practicing all that for a while, Meghan asked if i wanted to do a quick trail ride around the barn to cool down. I was excited about testing my knew knowledge outside of the arena. While I ride, I talked to Meghan about various horse related stuff---she asked if I had learned about horse colors, and I identified Reno as a bay. I then pinted out a chestnut in the pasture nearby the barn.

 We also talked about OTTBs. I had told her I wanted one, and talked to her a little bit about Lynn Reardon(she owns a OTTB adoption center in Texas) and some of my blogging friends who also had OTTBs. I told her about the horse show I went to several weeks ago and Sarah, from Eventing in Color. Meghan told me that there is a schooling show coming up next week. Some of her students will be there.

 By then, we had reached the mounting block again. I dismounted, then untacked Reno and picked his hooves again. The cross-ties were being used, so we had to tie him to a metal loop using a quick-release knot, which Meghan taught me. I sprayed Reno with fly spray and led him back to his paddock.

 Riding for the first time was an awesome experience. I can't wait until my next lesson this coming Saturday. I have lots of pictures, but I can't upload them yet since the internet is down. I'll upload them from the camera later so hopefully you can see them later this week.