An emotional adventure
Riley and I in the manege pre-meltdown!
This morning, as I headed off to the stables, I had no idea I was walking straight into a bit of an emotional adventure. After bringing Riley and Blackjack in from the field, I set about tacking up Riley for a schooling session in the manege.
Admittedly, I wasn’t exactly feeling on top form but felt once I was in the saddle, things would pick up. Riley, on the other hand, was feeling rather enthusiastic. The moment he got his polo, he practically launched away from the mounting block, clearly ready to get going.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been having riding simulator sessions with Jen from Pegasus Physio at the Racewood in Tarporley. They’ve been amazing—challenging, yes, but incredibly insightful and there is much more to come. (more about that another time) I’ve been doing my best to incorporate some of that newfound knowledge into my riding when onboard Riley.
Climbing Everest in slippers
Blackjack and Riley back in the field.
Now, Riley isn’t exactly a push-button pony—and that’s not just my biased opinion! He’s known for being a bit of a character. I’ve watched more experienced riders manage him with ease, achieving things that seem to slip just out of my grasp. Sometimes, even something as seemingly simple as a canter transition or a neat twenty-metre circle feels like climbing Everest in slippers.
About ten minutes into our ride, frustration started to creep in. I was feeling more and more disheartened, berating myself for being such an awful rider. Before I knew it, I was in tears, convinced I was the worst rider in the world. Meanwhile, Riley was strolling around the manege thinking he was just getting a break. I seriously considered hopping off and calling it a day. But then, somewhere in the middle of my meltdown, I managed to pull myself together. I even had an internal little giggle at how foolish I was being. Still, I decided to dismount and rethink the plan
An important win
Since our schooling session hadn’t gone to plan, I decided to give hacking off the yard another go. In other words tackling the dreaded hill. The last time I attempted it, I barely made it to the lane before panicking and jumping off. Let’s just say expectations were low. Nonetheless I gave it a go and surpised myself. I actually made it up the hill! Admittedly, I was nervously leaning forward like I was about to take a jump in the Grand National, and yes, I insisted Kevin hold the reins from the ground the entire way. Oh, and Riley had a wobble over some wheelie bins. But we did it.
With that small but important win under my belt, I decided to quit whilst I was ahead. We walked back down with Riley in hand, and I left the yard with an encouraging sense of having achieved something – and a smile on my face.
Not every ride will be perfect. Some days it’s tears, and others it’s tiny victories. But I’m learning that progress can’t always look pretty—and sometimes, showing up and trying again is the bravest thing you can do