October 8th, 2024
I will readily admit that being forcibly out of the saddle has been tough on my brain.
When I broke my finger, I could still find ways to ride, as I had full use of my left hand and enough use of my right hand to make casual hacking work just fine. I also was going through a pretty rough depressive episode, so my head was not in its usual space regardless.
This time feels so much different.
Sophie and I came off of such a high moving back to MA, having finished our stint in Virginia taking home 4th in the 1* at Maryland. I was over the moon about getting out to Town Hill and gearing up for big fall plans, and having it all come to a sudden halt because of my own mistakes has been a tough pill to swallow. I would obviously much rather myself be hurt than Sophie, but knowing that my injury was likely quite avoidable has given me a severe level of FOMO watching my peers near and far continue having success in their fall seasons.
I am a super supporter from the ground, and I love watching my friends and peers ride, but I also love riding alongside them.
In an attempt to not spiral, I have found other ways to enjoy the things I love about this sport that don't require me to be in the tack.
First, I recently took the MA instructor license exam, so I soon will be able to go back to teaching lessons. I am eager to advertise and start building a schedule, but even just having the certification under my belt will be a relief. (As a side note, the level of knowledge the state of MA requires for a riding instructor's license is offensive at best. I have had a pretty staunchly negative experience going through this process with Mass so far, and if you've also had a hard time with it please let me know! Would love to commiserate 😂 )
I also was privileged enough to have been asked to coach a student I had taught in the past at Coursebrook Farm HT last weekend. Merritt and her stunning horse, Juliet, had a fabulous outing finishing on their dressage score of 30 to take home the win! Merritt has been working hard back at her home base barn, all while starting at a new school, and I am so proud of the efforts she put into her rides that day. Especially after Juliet gave her plenty to work with in the warm up ring!
I have always loved teaching lessons, but there is something special about coaching at shows that I really, really enjoy. I think it is wonderful to watch your students experience both positive and negative outcomes that help continue to motivate them to do better and work harder for the next one. I am not Merritt's every day trainer, but I have taught her a bunch in the past and have watched her grow so much as a rider that it was truly a pleasure to watch her efforts culminate in a well deserved win to finish her season. Way to go, Merritt!
Then this past weekend I excitedly signed up to volunteer at the Apple Knoll fall horse trials. It was an easy decision for me to sign up, as it's my home base and I'd likely be there anyway, but I also get so much energy being in the show environments. I still don't think I'm fully past the general excitement I have about being back in Area 1 surrounded by familiar faces, but I also know how important volunteers are to this sport. I have made it a goal of mine to try to get out and volunteer a little more when I can because the sport needs it - especially Area 1!!
I signed up online to help run the show jump warm up, which was mostly due to me still being in a boot and hiking out to cross country would be hard, but also being in warm up allowed me to see and chat with a bunch of people. I enjoyed watching the variations of horses and riders from training all the way to starter, and I am grateful that the day ran smoothly and safely for everyone. I was pretty isolated in the show jump warm up, but I heard great reviews from everyone all day about the way things were running. It was such a gorgeous fall day and everyone was in great spirits. A huge shout out to everyone who helped organize such a beautiful event, I am grateful I got to be a part of it in some way.
Aside from the last two fun horse show-filled weekends, I have also been thoroughly enjoying watching Sophie get along with Julia. I know I mentioned this in the last blog, but it truly has been one of the best parts of my day. I had Julia give Sophie a little jump school at the barn after the show Saturday, and I put the jumps up a little bigger than I had the last time they jumped around. Sophie was a little rocket (and definitely brought out some of her feral energy) and I think both horse and rider had a blast playing around over bigger fences. I had a smile on my face the whole time watching from the ground!
I am also happy to add that as of last night, I am officially back in the saddle. I might've had a sneaky bareback hack here and there over the last few weeks still in the boot, but the doctor checked everything today and confirmed that I can now be boot-free. He did suggest I stay off of riding for two more weeks, so I am sticking to flatwork and minimal posting trot as a compromise 🙃 As I've said before, I am being smart about how much I push it, and I know and trust Sophie so well that I feel comfortable getting back into the swing of things with her like this. Last night I had a little flat ride just to test the waters, and I felt good, and so did my horse. I will be heading over today to give her another good flat ride and maybe start the clipping process if I can find the motivation!
Happy to be able to be back in the saddle, and as always looking forward to what's next. We will see! :)
K
Kay + Mermer Shefette + Juju Bear = dream team