sweaty times

Yesterday I went for a ride with Flag. It was the first day that I did not lounge him before I got on, and we were doing ok. I had set up the jumps and was warming up so we could jump but the pony only wanted to go fast. He was shacking his head and trotting in place, really ready to go fast. For example when we cantered if it was not in a circle it would have been too fast for our little pasture I was riding in, really it was a slow gallop. When we got too fast it took almost all my arm strength to make him trot again. Anyways, he was full of, as Gloria used to say, “piss and vinegar”. I finely got tired of this attitude and let him fast canter in a circle until he wanted to stop, but then kept him going. On the left lead we went in lots of circles for 3-4 minutes nonstop. He got sweaty; unlike he has since we moved here. I lost my right stirrup so I was a tiny bit sore too. Yay for horsie bath time! We did not end up jumping, so I can do that today granted he is not so full of himself.

Last night we also had Kung fu. It was different than any other class. The school is moving to a new location so the inside was all torn up and we had to do class outside with different people. There is an exercise that we do on occasion called push hands. It is a soft exercise that is from Tai Chi where you have soft, slow contact with the other person’s arms all the time. I got to work with one of the more advanced students, and it was so nice. His arms started to get tired and he asked me if mine were too. No, they were fine. It is a proud moment (in a strange, maybe bad way) in that my arms are getting stronger due to riding and working on the fence. Good day to all.