Racing the Southern Wind
on Blog From Beyond (Rwanda), 09/Feb/2010 12:47, 34 days ago
I'm the happiest girl in all the world today :opI finally got to do something I've been wanting to do since I got back. Not sure why it took me so long.I enjoyed my time in Rwanda, but one down-side to living there is that there aren't any horses. The last time I went riding was inKapmala in 2008- and that was quite an experience! And before that, not since just before I left the UK when I went hacking in theWelsh hills.I've missed them hugely. I even took my chaps out to Rwanda just in case. I couldn't, at that time, imagine a country with no horses - but sadly it was true.This morning I booked in for an hour's private lesson atHolcot Riding Stables, which is about twenty minutes away and does discounts weekdays before 3pm. As I'm not working Mondays and Tuesdays anymore that's perfect. Also gave me time to dose up on vitamin C and antihystamines - it's a sad fact that although I love horses, I'm also very allergic to them. I never was as a kid and I think it's something that would ease up if I spent more time around them but I do go very blotchy and sneezey if I don't look after myself. Vitamin C seems to be the most effective defence, I just take a couple the night before and in the morning; makes a real difference.A slightly embarrassing admission is that, since I was about nine, I've never tacked-up. I'm one of those lazy arrive-and-ride kind of people and although, as a kid, you sometimes helped saddled up, I had never actually put a bridle on a horse before! It's something I really wanted to learn how to do, so this morning I did. I felt very accomplished afterwards, fingers all covered in horse slobber from coaxing Poppy (my horse) to open her mouth :opAs I entered the arena, my instructor suggested I was a 'glutton for punishment' booking a full hour lesson after so long out of the saddle. It's true though, I go for really long periods without riding then sign up for one or two hours; give myself the John Wayne treatment ;)So I had a great time. Poppy's a slightly elderly lady now and rather slovenly but I managed to get her into a reasonable canter and plenty of work on sitting trot. The time just flew by.I'm just grinning because I had so much fun and really enjoyed canter. I felt more comfortable than in Uganda or Wales because my tutor (Hannah) was absolutely excellent. She was really encouraging and having that one-on-one attention was just right. Like everyone, I had a couple of falls as a kid but then one really scary one in my teens/early twenties (I did an 'over the handlebars' dive in canter) which sticks in your mind and makes you tense up. When you tense you throw everything off balance. But today really broke that completely. Yes, the older you get the further down it is, but also the more in control you feel about improving yourself. I think the way teachers talk to you as an adult rider compared to when you were a kid makes a big difference. I know what I want to learn and your tutor works at your pace (I sound like an advert for Lifelong Learning!).In another life I'd love to have been more involved with horses but I think the early starts (5:30am, seven days a week!) would kill me now. I'm just lucky to live in central horsey country - we live next door to a stable and horses go past the window every half hour.So, once I'm back from Belgium, and as long as I have the spare time, I'm going to work on improving my riding. I'd love to get back to jumps - I won first place when I was about eight for speed jumping at Holdenby stables gymkhana :op I've also only ever galloped by accident - I was on a small pony, the others had longer legs, so I had to gallop to keep up with their canter - and I would love to know what that feels like on a proper horse.So totally stoked. Had a great time, looking forward to the next. Just need to take care of myself now and run a very hot bath later. You don't realise how muscle intensive riding is until you get off. It's almost impossible to cross your legs afterwards if you're sitting. You can lift your leg up but trying to move it over the other is harsh. Hannah taught me another relaxation tip - whilst you're in the saddle you take your feet out of the stirrups and bring your knees up to touch each other over the pommel of the saddle. Looks a bit like a circus trick but gives your legs a quick break.To congratulate myself on learning to bridle-up, I'm buying myself a riding hat. I used to have a cute little one with a purple silk but it's far too small for me now. I've got quite a small head: 1 1/2, but I'd like to own my own helmet again. There's a saddlery in Corby so I might pop in after work tomorrow. I definitely intend to put it to very good use over the next couple of months.I've also managed to clean out my car in preparation forBelgium. Booked the ferry, travel insurance and breakdown cover. Heading off Saturday, back on the 18th. Should be most excellent :) Stocked up on euros from the post office inCreaton.Took mum and Merrick to seeAvatarin 3D last Friday. Thought it was so good they had to see it. They thoroughly enjoyed it too.Had a bit of a splurge on the Sainsbury's DVD clear-out. WatchedThe Devil Wears Pradalast night. I tried reading the book when it first came out but couldn't get into it. However, my heart gave a little skip when I sawSimon Baker(the legendary Brian Kelly fromSomething New). And, flookily, just as I was sitting there thinking how muchAnne Hathawaylooks a bit likeJulia Ormond, said Brian Kelly came out with the line: "Gertrude Stein once said America is my country but Paris is my hometown." - which is exactly the quote Julia Ormand used inSabrina! One of those weird moments where you wonder if the television can actually hear you.Anyway, it was a fairly watchable film, but then anything withMeryl Streeptends to be. GotAustraliato go tonight, which is another of those films that came out whilst I was away.Right, I'm going to go and stick my face in the giant lesagne I made yesterday. Nom nom nom.According to Bedouin legend, Allah created the horse from the four winds. He endowed the animal with spirit from the North, strength from the South, speed from the East, and intelligence from the West. In other versions of the story, the horse was derived from the South wind. -Arabian horse: the myths and legends