Haha, yep, you read right.
It's taken years for me to fall this head-over-heels in love with the fourth and most difficult savvy, but now, I'm addicted! Let me share some much needed humor about my new found addiction. There are many pros and cons, which I'm finding, much to my great amusement, and the slight irritation of my horse.
First of all, the difficulty in going back to the "old ways". No matter how much I want to, I can't help but think about finesse when I'm doing anything else. Tonight, for example, I was playing with Prin, very much at liberty in the North Paddock. And as we're running around and playing (OMG, my horse has gotten so LBE it's scary!) I'm watching her, thinking "Holy cow, she's REALLY USING HER TOPLINE WELL tonight!" ARGH! I'm sorry Prin! You're gorgeous, that's all!
Secondly, readjusting to new movement. I've been riding in a saddle mostly for the past week or so. There's been a large gap in the amount of bareback I've done (curse my fluidity saddle?) recently, and boy did I feel it tonight, not only in the sense that it's been a while, but also that my horse has built new muscles (YAY!) and her movement has changed...again! So, big, bouncy, HQ driven movement, combined with lack of bareback riding=BAD! So, I'm back to freestyle for a while...I've got to, for both my and my horse's sanity!
Thirdly, lack of response to turns with the Carrot Stick. There was a time earlier this summer when Prin was headed towards reining quality spins using just the CS. Yeah, not so much anymore! We spent about 10 minutes this evening just doing 180s on the fence, simply because we needed it. She did great though, I'll give her that.
Fourthly, Doesn't Parelli say somewhere, sometime (or, erm...A LOT, ALWAYS) to ride finesse like you don't have reins, and to ride freestyle like you've got them? Since WHEN has it been the other way around?! I've become somewhat overzealous with using my reins. *Slaps hands* BAD FRAN! And it's subtle too, it's not like I'm pulling her head around, I just found myself going to use reins, and not having them tonight. Must start using my body more in my finesse.
All in all though, really, I'm THRILLED with how the finesse is going. But there are 4 savvies for a reason, and despite my addiction, I'm losing focus on the other three. So I guess the point of this is, GET BACK ON TRACK FRANNIE! (But keep up with the Finesse)
So that's my little confession. I'm amused.
Photo by Margaret Chant and edited by Jessica Metropulos
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1 comment:
And don't forget to have fun... I know you are (Who wouldn't, right?), but sometimes a person can become so focused on where they're headed and the end product that they forget to have fun along the way.
Good luck! I really enjoy reading your blog. You're incredibly mature for someone who just graduated high school, and really, it IS a good thing (I'm the same way sometimes and a sophomore in college).
Keep up the good work!
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