i am easily trained

this morning's dressage lesson solidified for me that my horse has me wrapped around his little finger (er, hoof, as it were).  he used to overbend to the inside and tokyo drift with his hind end, so i learned to create a wall with my outside rein and leg and give the inside. i grew so accustomed to blocking the drift that i couldn't even begin to consider that our new counterbending issue might stem from applying too much outside rein and not enough inside leg/rein. i am clearly still learning how to process how my four limbs impact his body!

the mental game is the hardest for me. like i said in my intro post, i am feeling in a rut. this morning's lesson was so great, though, that hopefully it's not permanent.

i am inspired by riding rainbow's post, the no-riding blues, to pick up a few of the sport psychology books she mentioned, especially those by jane savoie. my trainer, lisa, has also mentioned the talent code, so i should probably pick that one up, too. i love adding to my equestrian library. in fact, as a book editor, i fantasize about reissuing all the great out-of-print riding books, and encouraging a new generation of riders to read and write. maybe i should get on that.

in the meantime, here's a teaser for what i have to contribute to facebook pony's tack swap:
brand new ariat westchester boots ($150), size 7, full calf, regular height

i also have a set of black nunn finer rubber reins (the pimply ones); a waterford boucher, size 5.25/5.5; a full cheek dr. bristol, size 5; and, maybe a few other things. i hope to post pictures and prices of these additional items this week!