Anyway, we moved in to the school and I did a bit of work in walk and trot, and managed to hold my new position fairly well, but I was finding trotting on the left rein SO difficult and I couldn’t tell if it was  me or Lucky, so I asked my trainer to have a little sit on him. She found that he was VERY stiff on the left rein and finds it really hard to stretch and soften, so she has advised me to get a physio to have a look and see if he needs releasing off somewhere.

So, not such a positive session in my mind, I came away feeling very frustrated with myself.

I must just ad that I went for a hack a couple of days later and felt much more positive about things, as I managed a fairly good trot in the right position with Lucky swinging forward nicely, and we even had a lovely canter too, but things did go a little pear shaped here, not such a good position and I even lost one stirrup which doesn’t normally happen!

So, I am looking forward to me next lesson to see what we can achieve.

Anyway, my lesson today started off on my daughter’s trampoline …. Not on horse back I should add! It was in an effort to try and soften through my joints, which in my case are very fixed to try and alleviate or avoid pain.  It helped, and I felt a bit more “give” through knee, hips and ankles after just a few minutes.

We then took Lucky in the school, and worked on getting him to lunge without resisting outwards on the line, but softening through his head and neck, which in turn encouraged him to use his hind quarters more, rather than pulling through from the forehand. He is quite stiff and short striding, even when at liberty in the field, so we will be working on creating more suppleness in him over the next few months.

I then clambered aboard, and was pleased to be told I had remembered my new “correct” position properly – brownie points for me I think!!!!

I did a few circuits in walk, then attempted trot, and this is where it all unravels, my lower leg shoots forward, my rear end shoots back, my top half collapses, I get behind the movement and Lucky sees all this as a sign to drop back in to walk.

So, I was shown how to bend at the hip, almost sliding my giant derriere down and back, even though I am preparing to rise for trot – might sound a bit odd, but it actually makes sense when you are doing it! I had moments when it all came together, and that was MAGICAL, I felt balanced, light and with the movement, and Lucky obviously thought I was getting the hang of it, because he swung forward beautifully in trot without me feeling I was having to ask him – he did it beautifully because I was finally “ALLOWING” him to move forward freely.

So, my homework is to try and learn to soften through my joints, as far as the pain will allow, and to fold at the hip and give with my joints. Might sound simple and obvious to many, but sadly not for me ….. work in progress.

So, I booked my first lesson … the Big Day arrived, tack had been thoroughly cleaned, pony groomed to perfection and I had overdosed on Rescue Remedy. We spent time discussing my condition, and what I was actually hoping to achieve. We also talked about the pony I would be riding, Lucky, my daughter’s previous pony, who I had only just started riding a few weeks ago. Then we went in the school and I lunged Lucky, so my trainer could see how he moved without a rider on – that went well, Lucky behaved beautifully and I didn’t wrap my arms or legs up in the lunge line – a good start.

Then the dreaded moment came …. I actually had to get on and ride in front of someone, with them scrutinising my every move – oh the shame! I just about achieved forward motion in walk, trotting was horrendous as it is so painful and I was very glad to be able to grind to a halt to discuss my astonishing riding!

I was shown, for the first time EVER how to actually sit correctly on a horse. This involves sitting on your seat bones, and that was my first revelation …. My seat bones were not where I thought they were, and as I was sitting on my hands, desperately rummaging through my well covered posterior trying to find these missing bones, I was desperately hoping no neighbours were watching, it must have looked VERY peculiar! So, with some help from my trainer, I actually sat on my seat bones, legs placed in the correct position, which involved dropping my stirrups down two holes to bring my leg further back underneath me, and just sitting tall but without tension anywhere – already I could feel that the ankle I had previously broken was aching less. Pictures were taken to show me the difference – I started off looking like a slouching cowboy and ended up looking like a fat scruffy dressage rider – what a result!

I then attempted to hold my new found correct position while actually moving …. Not quite so easy, but with some serious concentration on my part I managed it, and for the first time ever I was able to tune in and feel my seat bones sliding forward and backwards with Lucky’s movement.

I have had many years of riding badly, partly because I have not had a riding lesson in about 30 years, and my condition makes me sit badly to alleviate pain in certain places, so it is going to take a lot of work to teach myself how to adopt this new position, but I can already feel a difference and know that it will make me a much more balanced and secure rider which will make Lucky much happier too.

So, this is the start of my journey to actually become a rider, rather than a passenger.

I cant believe I am saying this, but I am REALLY looking forward to my next lesson.

I cant believe I am admitting this, even to myself, but I am not far off the old Five O, well, approaching 48 and not happy about it! I have a joint condition which makes even getting out of bed a challenge, let alone riding, its getting worse, and now because of the excruciating pain and my naturally appalling riding, I find myself feeling very insecure in the saddle and nervous. I don’t want to be like this, and my pony is obviously wondering why I am wobbling both physically and mentally so I am determined to do something about it ….

This is the story of my horse riding training as it unfolds….hope you enjoy it!