Good words from good friends

awww.... today was such a good day!

I took Dan to Shakerag for a lesson and got to ride with Caroline. It was so good to see her again. Of course they were awesome too, but... Danny and I had some really good moments also. :)

Jumped a triple (two one strides), then angled the 2nd and 3rd fences in it.... jumped the rest of the jumps... slowly built up to a course....

Things to remember:

• when the footing is slick: You must ride forward... like a ballerina skating on ice! Or... a ballerina on crack. ;) Ha ha... Smoke that crack pipe Holly. But...seriously... riding forward and hunkering down in the saddle makes it SOOOOO much better. It somehow makes it less skittery and scary
• my mental homework is to EVERY RIDE come up with at least 2 good things that happened. 

At the end of my ride.... after watching Caroline put down a perfect course.... and then I went.. and screwed it up....  (at least in my brain)..... I couldn't find anything to say because... I knew I didn't want to say how bad it was... but I really couldn't find any good. Kelly pointed out that I was really good at owning up my mistakes... like... I'm really good at calling myself out for crossing his neck with the rein, or turning my thumbs down.... yet I totally don't own the fact that despite us almost eating the first fence in the triple, I rode forward and brave and we got through the rest of the course and we nailed the angled lines like a boss. So.. I need to OWN the good too. 

So then we did the course without the triple in the beginning and without the two angled lines (because I had nailed those, well, not the triple, but.. the angled lines) and it was lovely!! Kelly pointed out that I had fixed it... with tiny little changes! Tiny changes!! That was all it took.

And then... they totally made my day. Two ladies who I adore and think the world of and highly respect their skill level and more.... took the time to tell me that I am a damn good rider. Way better than I give myself credit for. And Caroline pointed out how far we've come in a short time.... Kelly said that Dan and I had a bond that was fantastic because we were the same brain. I laughed and said sometimes I needed him to be less submissive and jump the damn jump despite me being a wimp. But she said that was a better problem to have than us being on opposite brain waves. ;) It was just really nice to hear them tell me those things.. it seemed genuine and not just to stroke my ego or make me feel better. I didn't realize I needed that, but I totally needed that today. :) 

And then Caroline and I took a short hack and Dan perked up at the dogs. He was a little spooky today and was making us giggle. :)