Day 53 ~AM ride, Burn Baby Burn

Just got off Ms. Lindsay..rode her in my hunt seat saddle for the first time and I am embarrassed to say my calves are on FIRE! lol ..

I used to ride hunt seat and Dressage alllll the time...all day long, but over the past couple of years it's been more barrel racing and starting colts..w/ a little English here and there. I do usually ride Rox (my barrel mare) Dressage at least once a week, but been off her for well over a month and man do I feel it today! I tell you it seems you use different muscles for every type of riding. I am sure some are the same, but some are sure different...my calves are proof! Many times my abs and inner thighs burn after I've made lots of runs on Rox.. but this is a whole new set of muscles that have been on the back burners lately. My hunt seat saddle is a slick seat, plain flap, no knee roll, no knee pad or anything! ha! Used to jump in it all day... well, at least I know what to do. For me it helps to jack my leathers up high like I'm schooling cross country and really let my weight sink deep in my heels and ride that way a bit. (thanks Liz Salas for that suggestion years ago :) It burns like crazy, but gets the job done and gets it done pretty quick.

Riding in my English tack is a huge asset right now though for Lindsay and I . It really enables me to feel her so well, thus ride much more of the "Grey" area so to speak..and not just the black and white. We just did lots more trotting and she is the queen of long and low when you ask for it..she LOVES to stretch. I think she'd prefer if I just let her stretch her topline the whole ride and let her muzzle reach down almost to the dirt... but we can't do quite that, even though I do give her many opportunities to stretch. I love a horse that willingly uses their back and can lift and create that round bascule that is such a joy to sit aboard. Her canter transitions are getting better to, asking for them out of a connected, stretchy medium trot is helping their smoothness. We had gotten into a habit of jumping up into our canter a bit to much...it is just so easy for her to elevate, it takes nothing to get her over-elevated! Much rather that than her plow the ground with her forehand...I can not stand to ride that! I do love and appreciate all horses, but I must say I have gotten spoiled by being blessed with some talented mounts. Rox, Mesquite & Lindsay (my most recent athletes)are dreams to ride and just make some of the others feel like pogo sticks! .... But every horse is talented in their own right, and one person's "ideal" mount can be the total opposite from anothers.

I plan on walking off the pain today and hopping back on this afternoon...gives me a deeper appreciation for Lindsay's poor muscles! As hard as she has been working for me you know she's in knots sometimes...need to give her a banana...think I'm gonna go get one right now ..hehehe...