go shyloh!

I am bursting with excitement right now!!!!

Shyloh has been taking lessons with Beth as a rider! Well, two lessons so far and a third scheduled for Friday, but they have been fantastic!

Beth has been so patient and kind with Shy. When I tacked Shy up and Beth took her in the arena, Shy was like, hey, wait a minute. . .you? I want to go back to my stall and hay! She was unsure of what to expect with Beth and was skittish at first. She really wanted back in her stall, which I am guessing she feels is her safe spot.

Shy has everything she needs in her stall: food, water, salt and mineral blocks, a view. She is comfortable there. But Beth worked with her on the ground and calmed her down. When Shy started to believe that Beth was not going to hurt her, Beth got on her to ride! They were magnificent! Shy  was a little skittish at first, but really started to relax by the end of the ride.

I feel this video really shows how slow and calm Beth is with Shy. You can see the difference in Shy from the beginning to the end and see how much more relaxed Shy is as she is ridden. Beth kept commenting on how sensitive to the leg Shy was.

Shyloh has come so far on the ground and now Beth is going to work with her in the saddle. Beth is a great rider and is not un-seated as easily as me, haha. She was able to sit through all of Shy's little scoots and kept her very under control and on a loose rein. It was beautiful to me! My only wish was that I had videoed Shy in the beginning of the ride when she was more skittish so the difference was more obvious.

The ride today was even better! Shy seemed to remember Beth and what was expected of her. Beth hand walked her around the arena to see how she was feeling. Shy was great and let Beth mount her without  raising her head and tensing up. Louise was in the arena working on reining stuff, but Shy did not mind at all. There was even a point when someone opened the arena doors and Shy was fine! 

Beth walked, trotted, super fast trotted, and cantered Shy. She kept her on the rail and did circles with her. Beth kept commenting how much more relaxed Shy was today and how good she was doing! Beth also said that her trot was very comfortable. You can really see the difference in how Shy relaxes in today's ride from yesterday's ride.

Then Beth made a suggestion. . .

She took Shy outside to ride! Shy was, once again, amazing! She didn't care that the minis next door were calling to her, she didn't care when someone got in their car and drove away, she didn't care about the strong winds. I am still on a high from how awesome Shy was today!

It gives me great hopes for what we will be able to do. Shy is learning so quick and is getting comfortable as she gets ridden. We have come to the conclusion that when Shy is unsure what is expected of her, she gets nervous because she wants to do what is asked, but doesn't know what is wanted. Make sense? Once she figures out what is wanted, she relaxes. We think that she is so afraid of doing something wrong and making a mistake, that she works herself up. Or she is afraid of what the consequences (previous to me) are when she does not do what is asked. Is that possible?

the what ifs. . .

The good news: Yesterday I did yoga for the first real time ever (trying it on the Wii doesn't count). All I can say is WOW! It was nothing like I expected. It was calming and stretchy, yet I felt I really was working and concentrating on what I was doing. All outside thoughts were gone. I really enjoyed yoga and I am excited to continue with it. And, the temperature was 55 degrees today! Horses went outside and got all muddy! They loved it! Shy did not want to come inside, but stayed put when I showed her the peppermint I brought. Good girl. At least she is not running, as long as I have the peppermint. 

Not ready to come in!

The bad news: Yoga gave me a lot to think about afterwards. First, I wanted to do the yoga to help improve my balance and become a better rider. If I was a better rider, I probably could have stayed on Shyloh when she spooked and I fell off the back of her. But then I got to thinking, I am not a rider. I have barely ridden Shyloh and and mostly rode Mia, the Haflinger I leased, but not for that long. 

Me and Mia. Pretty in purple :)

Old barn had crappy lighting, but me on Mia.

With Mia, we would walk and trot, but the only canter I attempted was a few steps. This was mostly due to me, but partly due to Mia because just to get her into a trot was quite the process. She was a lazy pony!  I was always able to stay on Mia when she gave her little bucks and rears, when she spooked at birds in the outside arena, when I rode her bareback and she completely ignored what I was telling her and took me down the aisle to get to the grain stall (multiple times), when she would almost canter back to the barn after a ride down the road, and when she thought it would be fun to chase a van down the road. That horse sure had a mind of her own! But Shy and Mia are two totally different horses. Mia was mostly a lesson horse and pretty much nothing bothered her. She was also about 18 years old and had a lot of experience behind her.

Mia loved grass like no other, once she busted  the metal clip of  a line that was acting as a barrier  of a doorway as she escaped the barn to get to grass. 

This then led to the thought that since I am not a rider, what I am doing with Shyloh? What about our main goal of trail riding? Which in turn led to. . .

What if I can't ever ride/drive Shy?

What if she is too spooky for trail rides?

What if she can't ever get her "spook" under control?

What if I keep falling off of her?

What if I get seriously hurt?

What if I get a saddle and she spooks and I fall of the side but my foot gets stuck in the stirrup and she drags me around?

What if I don't ever take lessons? 

What if I do?

What if I can't find anyone to give me lessons? I do not want to compete or ride a discipline. I just want to have fun with her.

What if I am not good enough for Shy?

What if she is not the horse for me?

What if, what if, what if!!

It's a dangerous game to play. There were about a thousand more what ifs running through my mind, but I won't bore anyone. Then I got to feeling really blah. And that is where I am now. Blah. But once again, my million miles a minute mind starts to think, well, we DID get this far. We ARE making improvements, slowly but surely. Maybe we won't be able to ride this trail season. Maybe we will. I have no idea. Maybe I need some direction.

We can do it!

Things that I know to be true: I need a saddle. I need lessons. But these are entirely different subject matters to perhaps discuss at a later date.