February 10, 2013

Camp David 2013

Almost exactly a year ago, Encore and I went down to SoPines for two days of my invented Personal David Clinic.  Five days from now:  Camp David II.

In a whole year, we have...ummm...tried really hard? 

Encore came out well in the spring, hopped up to Novice, and was going strong over the summer.  August gave us the lovely gift of a pulled SI ligament.  That it took his dense owner two months to figure out.  November rolled around and I was in the OR, getting my knee innards sandblasted, effectively putting me on the curb for about two months.  Meaning I could only provide my muscle-y young horse with hotwalker and longe line sessions and an occasional ride from a friend.

It could have been worse.  Had I gotten my originally intended surgery, I would still not even be able to fully bend my knee at this point, much less walk around fairly freely.  So I was able to start actually Riding Properly in mid-January.  It was still enough time for Encore to lose a lot of that sexy muscle I worked so hard for

It feels like I've been back on longer, until I realized that we have not had any type of jump school until our light XC session at a local farm last weekend.  Doing the math, I've only been back in the saddle with focus for maybe four weeks?  So I am excited that Encore is strong enough now to actually step up into the canter again without running on his forehand and jumping evenly and roundly (and regularly saving his rider's rusty butt) once more.

We've lost a lot of time, but we had a dressage lesson Saturday and good (first since October!) stadium school today.  Even better, after spending the winter reading and thinking and watching and thinking some more about straightness and engagement and contact and all the other enigmatic processes of correct riding, I am riding better.  Encore was softer last summer, but he wasn't really connected because despite all the knowledge and years in my head, my body didn't get it until it got it.  Connection and straightness FIRST, then soften.

Yes, yes, we all know.  But do we really REALLY do it?  I wasn't.

Why the training pressure now, you ask?

Because we only have four weeks left until.....

7 comments:

  1. Crunch Time! I hate that, but it gets you motivated

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  2. Four weeks until...first HT of the season, right?

    I SWEAR I will get Encore's magical tiara to you before then! ;-) I have just had mucho technical difficulties, problems with the fairies sending the fairy dust powder on time, etc., etc. But. It.will.happen.

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  3. It does, MHLE -- I hope that "desparate" can be interchangable with "motivated", LOL.

    Nooo, Frizz, way more exciting that that! It's a surprise! Don't worry, we won't do a HT until at least the end of March, so there you go, a whole extra month.

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  4. Hee hee hee, google the definition of surprise! You shall have to wait and find out... :D

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  5. Oh, oh, I think I know what it is!!! Or, at least, *who* it involves. SO exciting!!!! :-D Will try to get the tiara to you by then for sure.

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