Introducing myself...

Hi, I'm Carrilee, 46, live in Hants County and I think I'm classified as a "returning rider"! My daughter (almost 10) has been riding the pony across the road since she was 4 and more often when she was six. She went on her first trail ride (6 miles maybe or might be 10, I forget) with the lovely group of riders from that barn. I wasn't riding then and watching her go was a moment of pride tinged with... wistfullness, maybe?
I had ponies growing up, first a Shetland when I "graduated" from grade two. It was a surprise, she was green broke and there was no such thing as a helmet then. She was really smart, worked at getting me off at every turn. She would spin while lunging to catch me up in the line, she'd drop to roll, she'd smush me against a tree or fence post, she'd grab the bit in her teeth at the last second and run. I was only hurt once when she ran under a branch to scrape me off after having enough of playing jockey. My next pony was maybe 12HH, a calm retired Western show pony who was her polar opposite. We had such fun riding everywhere and he taught me gentle calm aids were all that I needed. I loved both those ponies very much. The first went to another little girl and the second went back to his former owners.
I took lesson on & off until kids, 12 years ago and thought I'd have to put horses away. It didn't seem within reach. When Ginger's owner asked me in May if I wanted to "throw a saddle on Willow and come too" I was more excited than I could tell her. I went and have been riding her as much as I can ever since. We ride in an outdoor ring overlooking the Avon River, indoor arena and sometimes a group trail ride through the woods and along the beach. My daughter and I went on our first trail ride with just each other in September and I was too, too happy. Willow is a bit complicated, which I like. She gets bored doing the same thing and she expects a partnership type relationship. She's happier when we both agree and we haven't gotten into any major disagreements yet, although I've had to wait her out a few times! We both agree that there isn't always a "right' way and we're happy to try different ways of getting to where we want to go!
I've been loving reading this forum.

Glad to have you aboard!!!

:wel_ani3Tay.gi :wel_ani3Tay.gi :wel_ani3Tay.gi fabulous having new members!

Thanks you two, glad to be here!

Hi.....Welcome to the forum. It is always nice to have someone new join in...looking forward to getting to know you better!!

Welcome!

Hi, glad you have joined us. Pictures, pictures, we love to see our friends and their horses, so feel free to post.

later

HEY THERE.......Welcome aboard, was nice to read a bit about you.......please post some pix......and if you need help with that.......there are lots of folks on here who can tell you how to do it......hahaha :wel_ani3Tay.gi

I have photos in an album that I'll try to get on here! I have some video that I'll attempt to share in the meantime. My riding is not pretty, I'm sure... but it sure is fun!

My first deliberate outdoor canter:

We are all looking forward to seeing the videos but they don't seem to be working. Delete the posts and try again. I really would like to see you canter for the 1st time. Wondering if it was as bad as mine.

video worked just fine for me.........looking good. :cowboyhound.gi

thistle, what is going on with my computer!!! Sorry, I can't see them at all. Post the last one again I might have deleted in error when I was deleting my post. Jumpins, stupid fingers!!

Ok! Here's me "working" very hard to "get everything right" (hands, seat, legs, eyes, communicate with Willow...) while my daughter is whipping around me just having fun!

hope the videos worked! The second one took me longer... I know I can be sloppy when I'm riding, especially trotting, and maybe it doesn't look like I'm having fun in that second one. I am, though! She speeds up & slows down, sometimes just 'cause she wants to & thinks it's funny to throw me off-balance and sometimes 'cause my balance is already off so I give her mixed signals. She's pretty patient overall, I think. She mostly pays much better attention to me than when I started in May!
I try to mix it up each time I "play" with her. We work on transitions, just go for a walk up the driveway & back, hand-grazing, playing some games (closing the gate mounted, dragging a piece of wood around, turns on the forehand/haunches, follow the leader with my daughter, just grooming, riding with a buddy, trail rides with a group) and just lately, a bit of cantering in a circle. I'm not really doing much other than sitting on her and being happy that I'm not sliding off when we're cantering!
I hope to figure out how to post the photos soon! I've read the latest instructions, I'll see how well I can follow them!

making you happy is the best reason for riding or walking with yoru horse.....it should actually be THE reason as far as I;m concerned....... :cowboyhound.gi

me too! I can't believe how much fun I'm having, I love it!!