Back to Regular Programming

The fog is lifting! I am still getting into my pajamas when I get home, I am still a little anti-social, but I am no longer eating everything in the fridge: carbs are a little safer around me! Whew! I just had to get over the hump and let my body adjust to the winter darkness. This blogging thing is amazing. How wonderful that people that share a common interest with me, but who I have never met, can be so supportive. Thank you!!!

The weather has been quite amazing the last couple of weeks, which has been great for my SAD. Lots of sun and warm-ish temperatures. I have managed to get in quite a few rides.

Recently, I have been working on having a loose rein and just using my seat and legs to tell Gem where I want him to go. This exercise is based on a routine from Chris Irwin's Riding the Waves DVD, which Shannon over at It's Quarters for Me recommended (yes, Shannon, I watched the DVD!! :-)). The exercise that Gem and I do is part Chris Irwin and part LA and is to promote more effective communication with your horse through your legs and seat. We do this exercise at a walk. It doesn't look like much when you are watching someone else do it; the cues are so subtle. However, it does take balance and good seat and leg position, areas that I definitely need work on.

I do my usual warm up with Gem - walk, jog, walk - and then move him to the middle of the arena. There we do a few back ups, walk ons, and 90 degree turns. After we have loosened up, I start the exercise. While we are standing, I relax contact with the bit allowing the reins to hang a little but they still touch the sides of Gem's neck. Then I start using my legs and seat to ask him to walk on, turn, zig zag. In some ways, this is the perfect exercise to do when you are in an unbalanced state of mind. :-) It promotes relaxation and loosening up. I can shut out the "noise" going on around me and feel my body. The first few times we did this exercise, my lower back hurt; an indication to me that my balance was off. I am getting better at turning my upper body in the direction I want Gem to go. When you do that, everything else just falls into place. Go figure! :-)

Now on to something near and dear to my heart - fashion! It can be challenging for me when it comes to riding attire. I am curvy....just a little too curvy. :-) I am currently looking for a pair of heavier weight stretchy jeans for riding, preferably with tummy and thigh control....kidding!!! I am looking for something that I can wear in the colder months and that will cover the top of my boots so the cold air doesn't blow up my pant leg. I tried on a pair of Q-Baby Wranglers in my regular size, hoping that my fairy godmother would appear and make me look like the model in this picture. No such luck. While they looked decent when I was standing in front of the mirror, I think getting on Gem may be a problem and even if I could manage it, I think the supply of oxygen to my brain would be cut off by the waistband once I got in the saddle. I understand that they eventually loosen up with wear, but should I chance passing out while riding? Have any of you out there had experience with Q-Baby's????

Happy Thanksgiving to my American blogging friends!! Enjoy your family and friends.