5 Good Reasons to Outlaw Cream Jodhpurs

With much anticipation I headed off to the RDA Chicken Run today, a fundraiser for the Riding for The Disabled. After its initial cancellation it was all good today with perfect weather and perfect travelling up the winding pass to Moss Vale Show Ground.

My business partner Leah has been adamant that I look the part and left with me all the trimmings for a show ring ride. Upon arrival to the modest do I realised that a jacket would be over the top and decided on drumming up the courage to at least wear the cream joddies.

Roxy was calm and we headed out to do our dressage test, while she and I lacked impulsion she did really well and had some great comments such as 'nice obedient horse' and 'well ridden'. We scored 120/170 in our first ever test...fantastic!!!

Next was the showjumping....9 x 30cm high jumps. After a bit of a practice I felt ready to go but in the back of my mind wary of the double jump which was the second jump...sure enough Roxy felt my hesitation and although we went over I was unbalanced and then she placed two nice humps in for good measure and I was off! Not to be fazed I jumped back on and continued knowing that Roxy was willing to do this if I just drank my cup of cement and got on with it. The rest of the round was clear. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face....or the laughs as we played back the video of my fall over and over just to enjoy it together, what a treat.

Later my daughter Jade went in the dress up parade with Roxy as bumble bees, we were running a little late and Jade didn't place but the presenters made their way over to Jade to congratulate her on a fantastic outfit. I then took her for a little led ride and she really enjoyed it.

Last was the cross country, again not sure how Roxy would go I proceeded with caution but she was a champ and by 1/4 of the way through we were moving nicely...UNTIL.... we caught up to 'skittish balking horse' in front. I tried to pass but realised that her horse was going to crack it if I trotted off, and I decided to complete the course with her and in the meantime sneak in some training with Roxy and strange horses ;-)

So we ended the day very chuffed at how well our horses had done. Neville, Christine's horse was as fresh as they can get preparation wise and he also did really well. They had to deal with a lot today and then didn't let us down and remained calm the whole day. All our hard work is definitely paying off.

It is here that I fast forward a few hours and I am on the computer watching the videos from the day....I was mortified to see myself in those cream jods, as clearly standing in front of a mirror in NO WAY should give you any indication of how you will look bouncing up and down in a dressage saddle.

In a way that can only be described as 'dugongish' I now regale you with my 5 reasons for outlawing creams jods from competition or riding of any sort:

1. Your left arse cheek

2. Your right arse cheek

3. Any trace of cellulite that has crept on since child birth can be clearly seen

4. People have normally just eaten

5. It is just plain wrong and I would like my retinas back now please?

It is here that I must mention that had I wore said jacket my unmentionables may have been obscured by the bottom of the jacket...regardless, enough is really enough. When your husband refuses point blank to comment on your appearance when asked "Do I really look like that?" you know you have gone beyond the point of acceptable and it is time to rein it in so to speak :-)

So it is back to the old me, watching what I eat and trying to exercise a bit more than I do already.

Apart from that ......HOW AWESOME WAS MY HORSE!!

Until next we meet

xx

Lorrie

Leaps, Bounds and the Left Brain Introvert

Never say never...after passing on a Parelli DVD to my friend Leah, as I decided a few months ago it wasn't for me, I actually took the time to watch it. Turns out, as luck would have it. it may be one of the most important DVD's I almost didn't watch!

I am an extrovert, I doubt there is much dispute there. Roxy is a Left Brain Introvert, this means she uses the left side of her brain and is a thinker, has more whoa than go and needs time to mull something over before deciding on her actions. A classic example of Parelli's motto...take the time it takes.

Last Sunday week I finally convinced my family to come check her out and see how we were going. I warmed her up with ground work slowly slowly and as things progressed, she was focused and accepting of everything I asked of her, including giving Jade (7) and Zeke (3) a riding lesson. I had a ride and she was outstanding and I felt comfortable and in sync. Next I decided to ask her to cross a row of old tyres laid out on the ground and she willingly did this, then I raised it to two tyres high and over she goes, I felt confident and she was calm so I went to three tyres high and sure enough over she went. I was chuffed to say the least and Danny my suffering husband was too. This was the pinnacle of what we had achieved so far on the ground.

Fast forward a few days and I am back ready to do some more work. It was windy, threatening rain, horse dealer had arrived with a bunch of nervous horses and I knew all was not as it should be with Roxy's focus. We started out and she was doing ok.

We had a new tarp on the ground however this time it was silver. Now bear with me here while I explain how quickly a Left Brain can turn from calm to complete right brain. I took her over to the tarp and she was nervous but willing to sniff it. When she did this I should have taken her back to a familiar task elsewhere but no extrovert me tried to make her sniff it again and she did but, in hindsight, it was here that left brain was quickly switching to right. I then proceeded to put her over the tyres again. Seeing as though three was a breeze last time I though a single row high would be a piece of cake. Roxy however was still thinking about the tarp and I was moving her along too quickly, not taking the time it takes. She hesitated at the tyres and spun around the other way, when she circled back around she hesitated and spun again. Now here is where I should have realised again that I need to drop my energy and let her switch back to left brain. But NO I had to get firm with her a there were a few well place cracks of the string on the ground behind her back legs. SHE LOST IT! Off she goes almost galloping in circles on my 22 ft line. Then thankfully for her my brain went left brain and remembered the DVD "don't go after a left brain with the string and use your energy to bring them back" so I dropped all my energy and just let her go in circles until suddenly her left ear turns to me, she slows and trots up to me huffing and puffing but with a clear sense of "I have had enough of that I need a cuddle". She came to me for relief and to check in with me, similar to how a panicked foal would with its mother. Regardless of what had just happened this was HUGE for us.

Roxy spend a few minutes with me just being rubbed and reassured and then we went off to do some easy stuff before going back to the tarp. After taking our time she crossed it and the tyres several times and with confidence.

This is all translating to our ridden work and this morning I had a beautiful ride on her, just the two of us around the top paddock of my friends property. We did some trotting and cantering and we also rode through a dam.

This journey is so rewarding and is hard work but I really don't find it hard at all. I just need to understand where she is at personality wise and it all falls into place. I make mistakes but she forgives me for them and we move on and the partnership continues to develop.

The chicken run was postponed so we have two more weeks to work on that also before attempting some stuff in public. :-O

Until then xxx