Lisa, of Laughing Orca Ranch, asked me to post what I've learned so far from my horsemanship lessons. Well, first of all, I've gained confidence. I was so shaken after my fall that I didn't do much with ANY of my horses for over a year. I just couldn't. I limped around and could barely move my feet. My legs were constantly cramping and my balance was way off. I went up and fed them and talked to them, but I really didn't interact with any of them, except Sunni. He's always been my love! For another year, I also didn't do much. I really was in limbo. I wasn't sure if my legs would recover and I was afraid to have another accident. I did have my cousin come up and work with Sunni about 4x, until he crow-hopped while she was on the phone. That was the end of that. So, getting my own confidence back was a big step for me personally. Fortunately, the lesson horse down in Indio is so well trained that he's a breeze to work with! I've learned how to get him to drop his head, how to properly lead (not let the horses get ahead of me!), how to flex, how to yield the front and hindquarters, and now I can pick up all of Sunni's and Gigo's feet! (I used to only be able to do the front ones...). My trainer also showed me how she rides a horse bareback and gives cues with her legs. I'm not ready for that, yet, but if I continue to watch her, I'll be able to ride someday. Oh, and she told me, "If you are on a horse and you look at the ground, THAT's where you'll end up!" Hmmm...something for me to think about! She also demonstrated how to get her horse to go where she wants just by looking beyond that point. You know, I really haven't had lessons for several years (I did ride my cousin's horses a couple of times), but otherwise, I haven't had any lessons since I was in high school! That's MANY, MANY years ago! So, basically, for me, I'm learning all this from the beginning. So, Lisa, I guess the most important thing I've learned so far is to be more confident with my horses. I have now worked Sunni, Gigondas, Cali, and Scout with my new-found skills and they ALL did well (except Cali, who just didn't "get it")...I wanted to go back yesterday and work with them again, but we had to babysit the grandson all day since his daycare was closed and both of his parents had to work. That's my instructor, Annette, with Riley, my lesson horse. Isn't he beautiful? And, well-trained?
