i got to the stable and was expecting to ride Ruby, but to my surprise and total excitement, i was paired with Cruz. now, i have been wanting to ride Cruz since i first saw him; when i started up again at Ride On after a hiatus from an injury. the hulking gelding caught my eye not only because of his height but his warm blood confirmation, which made it clear that he was well bred and a different caliber horse than most of the others there. Cruz is a 16.3hh Irish sporthorse; a showjumper in his former life and now retired to dressage. chestnut with lots of chrome. he's a pretty guy! anyway as i mentioned i'd been wanting to ride him for a long time, but hadn't been allowed due to his habits of spooking and acting too silly for his size! but that day, it was decided i be put to the test.
using a 3 step mounting block, it was still a climb to get up on the gelding..but once i was on i immediately felt at ease. the girl who leases him had warned me earlier that he has the tendency to be lazy and not too responsive, which slightly dampened my excitement. if i need any quality in a horse, it's sensitivity and forwardness since i only have about 3/4 of my strength. however, i found that Cruz was perfectly forward, stiff from arthritis but no lazier than Ruby for instance. also, it was immediately apparent that Cruz knew more of what i was asking of him..his training was clear! he willingly got in a frame, and bent to both sides. the problem i experienced with him was he would run out with his left shoulder when we were tracking right..not because he was taking advantage of me but because he was unused to someone without the leg strength to stand him up and create that outside wall. i worked through that problem eventually.
megan had us try shoulder-in down both longsides, and let me tell you, that needs a LOT of work. again, lack of strength in my left leg allows the horse to drift through that left rein, which made it hard for me to keep his shoulders off the track. we had moments of acceptable shoulder-in, but there's a long way to go. then we started canterwork; and having seen other students ride Cruz with some difficulty getting him to canter,i was not expecting an easy transition. Cruz surprised me. he very willingly went into canter going each direction; it's a very ground-covering canter! he was really nicely round for me in the canter, the problem here being that he likes to canter in a jumper frame (long and stretched out) rather than the more upright dressage frame. megan had me adjust my hand, holding the reins up higher off his neck, and told me to "jump him up into the bridle" by asking simultaneously for a bigger canter and more collection. by the end Cruz and i were mostly on the same page..and it was a complete blast riding him.
the climax of the lesson was during our cool-down. we were walking nicely past the corner by A, and there happened to be (God forbid!) a cat passing the corner. one second we were walking one way, and within the blink of an eye, a split second later with no recollection of what happdened, Cruz and i were on the FAR side of the arena, completely in the opposite direction, and a pending buck on the way. the cool part was my seat didn't even BUDGE, let alone fall off..i sat tighter than superglue, and kept him under control the entire time. it's moments like those that make you feel like an accomplished rider. also, 16.3 hands is great incentive to not fall off! can't wait til my next shot at riding him.
the other very exciting news was i went to my favorite tack store LA SADDLERY in burbank to speak with Amanda about sponsorship possibilities. i expected to talk solely about the possibility of getting some dressage boots, but when i met her, she informed me that she knows an older woman with an upper level horse that she thought may be a good competition horse for me! he is a rare breed, Akhal-Teke stallion that is perlino colored (iridescent white) with blue eyes.
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| the blue eyes and exotic metallic coat of this horse make it an eye catcher! |
once i saw a picture i was sold. he is stunning, a shocking looking animal but looks like a piece of art! i was so touched by the gesture of the women at LA saddlery for giving me so much support and encouragement! i certainly wasn't expecting to get a lead on a horse i may be able to use!!
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| the akhal-teke |
while we were discussing this FEI stallion, another woman approached me and inquired if i was searching for a horse. "yes, yes i am!" i replied! she proceeded to describe an I-1 schoolmsater she knew who was owned by a woman who is not looking to compete. she thought that a life as a paraequestrian mount would be a wonderful job for him, and offered to look into THAT possibility! again i was moved beyond words at the kindness of these women. it literally made my day to receive that generosity and support from the equestrian circuit here! 2 leads in one day...it was a brilliant day!
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| BEST tack shop, with the most helpful staff in the world! |
the icing on the cake was learning that i will in fact be traveling to my home state of Maine in one month to attend a para equestrian clinic with a worldclass lineup of paradressage people. trainers, coaches, qualifiers, fellow riders etc will be present, along with Hope Hand (USPEA president) for an intensive 4 day paradressage bootcamp. I will be paired with a horse and riding along with 9 others, and i literally CAN'T WAIT!!! this will be a great chance for my parents to get involved as well, and see the things i am working on as a rider and paralympic hopeful. so the ball is really rolling now, and it's only going to get faster as i improve and meet more people! it's an extremely exciting time right now. will keep you posted on my ride tomorrw! xo
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