Had a fun lesson on Monday. My instructor gave me a crop so I could "tap, tap, tap" while both walking and trotting. I'm so uncoordinated that I was tapping my leg and not the horse but it worked anyway. She was a lot more animated (unsure it that's the right word or not) She's very whip savvy which leads me to believe that's why she spooked a few weeks ago. She saw the whip directed at another horse too close for comfort and took off. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. My instructor also had me holding the reins apart instead of close together. I've got to start questioning why but I'm always so caught up in attempting to do what she's asking correctly that I sometimes don't get around to it.
Yesterday I met the daughter of the woman who gets her nails done before me. She rides at one of the other stables in town. She was saying she started riding at eight and was always the oldest one in her classes. She thinks she got a late start. Ha! Add fifty years to that and you have me.
The riding community in Anchorage is fairly small so she knew a lot of the horses I am familiar with. Apparently one of the ponies I love can be a real stinker and is famous for refusing jumps and having kids go right over his head.
So, did anyone see this story about the teacher that has been suspended for opinions she has expressed on her blog? One of her former students, "said he thought much of what Munroe said was true and that she had a right to voice her opinion, but felt her comments were out of line for a teacher." WTF?
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I think everyone hits their leg when they first learn to use a crop.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear the riding community in all of Alaska isn't very big, not just Anchorage. Not many horses and some places even no vets.
I didn't get my first horse until I was forty and didn't really get to ride much until a few years after that. Was too busy working to pay off the horse and board. It wasn't until we moved to this farm that I got to ride. Younger than you at that time but then old enough to appreciate how much easier it would have been if I was a kid.
I have a friend (former trainer) who I told I would be a going concern if I had been able to start as a kid. Her response was, "MiKael, you ARE a going concern!" Makes me laugh but still I wonder where I might have been had I had the chance to begin as a kid.
She didn't use her name or those of the “disengaged, lazy whiners”, but she's suspended for having her thoughts, anyway. Great. :(
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that your riding lessons are going well, pretty soon you'll be a pro:-)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard about that teacher so I clicked on the link and read about it...omigosh, how ridiculous that they even suspended her! As the article said, she never gave her full name and never mentioned which school. It's just beyond ridiculous and whatever happened to freedom of speech. It's ok for the students, though, to blast a teacher or others on their blog/facebook. Just shaking my head over this. xoxo
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ReplyDeleteYou ride AND do your nails? That's rare. I know of many teachers who use blogs as a platform to express their disgust and disgruntlement over the educational system, and I worry about them. Especially for those who use their real and full names in their blogs. Gah! I see Mr. Anonymous Boycott has hit your blog too.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh - first, did you notice that American Women comment? LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your lessons are going well. I love your description of them, they always leave me smiling. If it makes you feel any better, I've been riding my entire life and I still feel awkward with a whip. I'm not against them in any way, I just don't have the coordination to get them where they need to be WHEN they need to be there!
I find it hard to carry a crop too. I've never really had to use one because most of our horses would be in the next county if a crop was used on them. My horse Erik was a lazy guy though and he only went well in the beginning if I carried one. Never had to use it though.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard about the blogging teacher ~ thank you for the link. I don't think she deserves to be suspended but it does sound like unprofessional behavior. It's hard to know, really, since I can't read the blog for myself.
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