My accountability: Here4Ponies
Here4Ponies
Posts: 116 Member
Hats off to @crimsongrey and @showjumper for the fantastic accountability idea!
On deck for this week:
yesterday - lesson on OTTB; working a lot on trot poles and 2-point; trainer has asked me to switch to an AP saddle so I can shorten my stirrups without bruising my knees on the dressage saddle knee rolls; working on my leg strength and his rhythm and attentiveness (I swear he'd test high for ADHD if he was human). Followed that with 40 minute ride on Western horse, working on canter, left bend, and trot poles.
Today- strength training in a.m.; lesson on OTTB in evening; canter sets and trot grid on Western horse
Tuesday - light cardio and stretching in a.mm; lesson on OTTB in evening; canter sets and trot grid on Western horse
Wednesday - strength training in a.m.; no barn
Thursday - light cardio and stretching in a.m; 2-point/trot grid work on my own for OTTB
Friday - strength training in a.m.; no barn
Saturday - no gym; ground work for OTTB; teach 9-4
Sunday - lesson on OTTB; yoga
On deck for this week:
yesterday - lesson on OTTB; working a lot on trot poles and 2-point; trainer has asked me to switch to an AP saddle so I can shorten my stirrups without bruising my knees on the dressage saddle knee rolls; working on my leg strength and his rhythm and attentiveness (I swear he'd test high for ADHD if he was human). Followed that with 40 minute ride on Western horse, working on canter, left bend, and trot poles.
Today- strength training in a.m.; lesson on OTTB in evening; canter sets and trot grid on Western horse
Tuesday - light cardio and stretching in a.mm; lesson on OTTB in evening; canter sets and trot grid on Western horse
Wednesday - strength training in a.m.; no barn
Thursday - light cardio and stretching in a.m; 2-point/trot grid work on my own for OTTB
Friday - strength training in a.m.; no barn
Saturday - no gym; ground work for OTTB; teach 9-4
Sunday - lesson on OTTB; yoga
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Replies
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sounds like a great week!1
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Yesterday
Morning: Strong Curves week 3 workout A
Evening: rode the OTTB in an AP saddle. Wow! do I miss the deep seat and massive thigh block/knee roll of the dressage saddle. I was all over the place. New respect for those of you who jump. He did very well, actually went better in the AP than the dressage so I'm going to need to consider saddle fit. He may just not have enough topline to support the dressage saddle. I did not ride the Western horse. I was too tired and my trainer had to leave earlier than normal so no one else was around. I don't like riding without another person present, especially when I'm not 100%.
Food: ate only what I packed or prepared myself. Yay me! no vending machines or fast food.
Trainer has a client moving in next month with a TB trained to 2nd level. Client works 3x3 shifts at a hospital so needs help working her horse. Gaits are similar to my TB but with higher training she thinks he'd be good for me to learn on. We'll see. I hope it I get the chance to ride him but I'm not holding my breath.0 -
Tuesday
Not much good yesterday. Was late getting out of the house which meant traffic was exponentially worse which meant gym time would have been reduced to just 15 minutes so I deemed it useless to try and went straight to work instead. Morning workout skipped.
Spent lunch running errands so grabbed fast food to eat in the car instead of eating what I had packed.. We aren't allowed *cough* to eat at our desks and I didn't allow enough time to sit in the designated eating area. This set me up emotionally for a vending machine afternoon snack and ice cream dinner. Food = fail
I did manage to ride the OTTB in a lesson last night. And he was really, really good. The AP saddle suits him much better than the dressage saddle right now AND I can tell the exercising is helping with my stability and endurance. I did not manage to ride the Western pony as it was already full dark when I finished with the OTTB. We do not have outside lights and the indoor is filled with jumps right now. Not conducive to cantering a horse with minimal directional control.
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Don't beat yourself up about Tuesday! You are gaining ground by being accountable and putting yourself out there! Be happy with recognizing your "triggers" and move forward... fast food, I get.... try to get healthy options like salad side or no fries, walk in instead of the drive thru, or my favorite........subway! McD's has salads or stop at the deli counter at a grocery store. Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't expect perfection on day 3
At the end of the week if you have more steps forward then its a gain... no matter what the steps backwards were, you are still further ahead!
Keep it up! You're doing awesome!!! 3 -
no gym yesterday -- apparently the whole complex is having issues with a main line sewer which means no bathrooms
I did ok with food but overate.
Two awesome rides last night. The OTTB was soft and listening so I was able to work a lot on myself. I finally had enough time to ride the Western horse. I opted for bareback because his wool saddle blanket was damp from the rain. He had a willing and controlled canter/lope on both leads. Still can't do 20m circles but I'll take it!
On an ego-building note, one of my students expressed awe at what I was doing bareback. (Western pony does leg yields, shoulder in, turn on haunches and forehand, canter to halt.)2 -
Had a great weekend riding and teaching. The OTTB is growing up and really showing me he might actually someday be a real dressage pony. The Western pony continues to impress me and my trainer (and she doesn't even like him!). We've been working on his canter because he doesn't canter naturally. I was rewarded this week by watching him canter with the rest of the herd while playing. He also doesn't jump. It's taken a bit to teach him to go OVER the jumps and not through them. Yesterday we combined cantering and jumping and he never hesitated or questioned. We keep pushing his boundaries and he just handles it.
Because of work requirements I won't get any gym time and minimal riding. Hoping for a ride on Tuesday and Wednesday.1 -
Amazing you are getting this horse to trust you enough to do things “outside his box”.1
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Work audit - done
Daughter's wedding - done
Clean up storm damage to yard - yeah, about that....
This week won't include gym time or much riding. My daughter is away on her honeymoon which means I'm spending my lunch taking care of her kitties. I only get a 30 minute lunch but her apartment is 45 minutes away, round trip, so I'm coming in early instead of going to the gym to make up the time. We had a huge storm Saturday evening so most of our spare daylight hours over the next few weeks will be spent doing clean up. I'll get some ride time but not as much as normal.0 -
its always tough when life gets in the way of life..... work especially! Hope the clean up isn't too long!1
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Kids are back so I'm done catsitting. Most of the clean up is done - at least we have an intact fence now for our dog. The rest of it will take a few months to work through as we chip the debris into mulch. The storm highlighted a few house maintenance projects we can't put off any longer (caulking windows, for example), so working on that.
Despite all that, I've managed to have some pretty good rides. Western pony is giving me some really good lateral work (leg yield zig zags! haunches in!). His canter is coming together slowly but it IS getting better. I'm hoping the lateral canter is because of weak back and haunch muscles and the lateral work is building his strength. He got so frustrated with me he gave me a few half steps in anger while I was teaching him haunches in. Then, an honest all-four-feet-off-the-ground buck when I asked for canter. (This horse has NEVER been able to buck. My barely beginner SO experienced one of the pony's attempts at bucking and thought he had stumbled.) I was so proud of him!
The OTTB is finally showing a willingness to listen, relax, and work. And, even better, my instructor ended our last lesson BEFORE I told her I couldn't do anymore. A huge first for me riding the OTTB.
Next week, back to the gym because life goes back to normal *knocks on wood*.2 -
Happy to hear you're getting some good rides in!
Life! Why must it get in the way so often??
Next week! We'll both try again next week 1 -
Went to a fitness for riders demo session lead by a local Grand Prix rider who is also a personal trainer. She suggested 3 cardio sessions and 2 strength training sessions per week for dressage riders. Got some good feedback on what I need to work on. Unfortunately, I used her suggestion (and my soreness from the session) to not go to the gym this morning. I need to find something I can do at home. The commute to the gym then to work is discouraging and won't get easier with winter weather. I have a treadmill so no excuses for cardio. Researching bodyweight workouts that don't require equipment.
Planned rides for the week:
Monday - lesson on a new horse who is supposed to be 2nd level; his current rider is able to work him to his level so trainer wants to put me on see what he's got
Tuesday - ride on my own
Wednesday - ride on my own
Thursday - off
Friday - off
Saturday - ride on my own
Sunday - lesson on one of my own horses2 -
How is November ending for you?0
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Happy thanksgiving0
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How are things going?0
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