Tag: Lily

It has been sufficiently hot that I went to the barn to ride Lily in a lesson at 9:00 am this morning. Lily was okay with being taken away from her breakfast after only half an hour. Even at 9:00 am, it was hot.

I’ve become stronger and riding in a lesson is no longer quite so arduous as it was two months ago. This is a good thing for me, but probably not so good for my trainer, since I now have enough energy to ride and whine at the same time. Before, I barely had enough breath to ride, let alone whine. I spent an embarrassing amount of time collapsed over Lily’s withers gasping. Now I loudly announce “I’m dieing here!” and I still have to keep trotting around the arena for another lap or two.

The past few lessons have included lots of rapid-fire transitions and turns. This is to keep Lily alert and me from over-thinking what I am doing. Lily loves it: she would have made one hell of a cutting horse if she had been a hand or so shorter. (I love watching lots of different types of equine athletics, but for pure enjoyment, watching a good cutting horse is at the top of the list.) I’m working hard to keep up with my horse: though sometimes it feels as though I am being asked to do calculus when I haven’t even done algebra recently.

After the ride we did the customary cool Lily out, let Lily roll in the arena, spray Elaine down, give Lily the extra meal she gets when she works, then spray Lily down. By the time we got to the “spray Lily down” segment I was dry from the heat and lack of humidity.

The “at least it’s a dry heat” doesn’t always work as well as one hopes.

I rode Lily yesterday for the first time since the start of winter. When I went to call her out of the mare field, she craned her head and looked at me quizzically, instead of galloping down the hill with a sliding stop inches away from the gate. The sliding stop is impressive, but scary, since I am always afraid she will misjudge the distance. She walked down to meet me when I went out to catch her, so I decided she was just feeling exceptionally mellow.

I tacked her up with her western saddle, and then decided to ride her without longing her first. Why wake her up when she was in such a relaxed mood? Besides, watching Lily on the longe line has been intimidating me. She is no worse than Hap at that age, but I was a lot younger then, and in theory at least, bounced better.

We didn’t do much: a friend was working her young Arab/Percheron cross, and I wanted to stay our of her way. However, I was once again amazed at Lily’s sensitivity. I joke with my trainer that Lily’s philosophy is “we don’t need no stinkin’ aids.” She wants a very light, very consistent feel on the reins, and a very light, very consistent leg. Turning and transitions should all be done with minute shifts of the rider’s weight. I think she plans on teaching her riders to communicate with telepathy next.