Feeling Some Confidence

If you've been reading my posts for longer than two minutes, you'll know that I am pretty self-deprecating, I deflect, and I have a hard time giving myself credit. For the first time in maybe ever, I am beginning to feel pretty darn good about my riding. The lesson I took with Sean Cunningham, owner and trainer at STC Dressage on Saturday has a lot to do with it.

For the past eight or nine years, I have been learning how to ride Izzy. He is not easy, not even for a professional. I've always said how much better he would have done had he had a more knowledgeable rider. While that is still true, Sean has helped me so much in the past two years that I am starting to feel like the kind of rider Izzy needs.

Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing posts where-in I have written about the fact that I no longer hate my position. I don't cringe nearly so much as I used to when watching videos of myself riding. That doesn't mean I am brilliant, but it does mean that I don't completely suck.

When I rode on Sunday, I used my Pivo to record the ride. Without needing to watch the video, I could feel that I am making some big progress in my riding. Sean has hammered and bent and coaxed my seat into more or less the right place. Under his coaching, I am feeling new "feels." Out of what feels like nowhere but is really years and years of work, is a new feeling in the shoulder-in. On Sunday, I suddenly felt my inside leg connect to my outside hand which all on its own was controlling the left shoulder and keeping Izzy in a real shoulder-in.

In the canter, I felt my seat bone plug into the saddle, my left leg wasn't swinging like it used to, and I was able to control Izzy's shoulder and tempo. We actually look like we know what we're doing. And without meaning to, I rode straight toward the Pivo for a non-explosive, right to left flying change even though it was late behind.

If you're struggling with your position, if your horse is struggling with your position, or you just need a new set of eyes, call Sean and schedule an in-person or virtual lesson. He has some space opening up in his barn, so I know he has room in his schedule for new clients. I am nowhere near the same rider I was just two or three years ago, and I have Sean to thank for that.

It's a great feeling to have risen above the "wow, she sucks" level. I am thrilled to finally be even mediocre. Isn't dressage fantastic?