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…but the riding’s real delighful! The weather has been frightful indeed! Unless you’ve been living under a rock (preferably one in tropical climes), you have a basic idea about how the weather has been reigning havoc this winter. Here in the Northeast, we have been hit with interchanging weeks of bitter, arctic -like cold, ice storms and snow. Fun! We had an ice storm here two weeks ago that left almost 3/4″ ice on our lawn and all the trees look like glass. The temps haven’t gotten warm enough to melt the ice on top of which fell 4″ of snow. Thankfully, our horses have been going out so the money I spent on snow pads and shoes wasn’t wasted!

I have managed to get quite a bit of riding under my belt lately. I’m thrilled with the progress we’re making together. One stand out issue is still my left side aids. I’ve made it a mission to really strengthen my left leg. I’ve often described it like a jellyfish with a seizure as it is often spasmodic and limp. I am also seeing a trigger point myofascial release massage therapist. This ain’t no spa music massage – no siree. This is the type of massage that will make you cough up bank account numbers with the PIN. My therapist tells me the amount of digging I take would put most people on the floor but, for some inexplicable reason, I start laughing and then fall asleep. I go someplace else while she’s “breaking” me (as she calls it) and then I come “back” when I’m fixed. Because of the amount of driving I do, the right side of my body tends to be contracted and spasmodic and the left side is too soft and unengaged. Hmmm, sounds like my horse – wonder why? In the short amount of time that I have been massaged and gotten back on track with my stretching, strengthening and cardio exercise routine, I have been able to reach one of my first goals with Tory: trot/canter transitions! Lifting him up into the canter while maintaining straightness took more strength then my puny left leg had in it so I really have to work on getting it as strong as my right leg. After only a week of concentrated work on my left leg (and a return visit to Pilates), I had some great results – trot/canter transitions with 4 strides of collected canter! My trainer says that if I continue to maintain this degree of steadiness, we’ll be ready for Second Level. Today, we even had sucessful halt/trot and halt/canter transitions – amazing!

I’ve recently discovered Craig’s List and have found some great fins there. I found a color laser printer for a bargain price for the paintings I’ve been working on that I would like to turn into prints (look for them in the near future in our on line shop). I also found a Pilates reformer machine with instructional DVDs – also for a steal. Along with the unmounted body work I’ve been doing for myself, after one workout session on this Pilates machine, I can already see the results.

What an amazing feeling of lightness, harmony and teamwork when everything comes together. It’s in those moments that make you crave more. I don’t know if we will start at Second Level but what a compliment.