Whew! It’s been awhile since I sat down and put my adventures to paper (…erm… keyboard?), and it isn’t because it’s been uneventful around here, it’s simply because I’ve been lazy. “Boo laziness!” you may shout, but nay, you are right to scold. I really have been learning a ton about the riding technique and should be writing it all down to better retain it. However, I am now, so shush up and listen to the tales I shall tell ye.
The last few weeks have really been spent increasing my knowledge and skill in the saddle. I’ve always considered myself a good rider and horsewoman, but it has been very humbling to realize how much more there is to learn and how much room there is to grow. Focusing on the reining techniques and style is really making me take the time to slow down and get things right, rather than working on speed or completing a task. Riding Drill Team and Hunter/Jumpers taught me to ride for speed and to complete a course, whereas here I’m really getting to focus on collection, cadence, and consistency. It’s amazing how you can spend an entire ride just working on getting your horse to round up, bend at the poll, and change gait without changing speed too much. The “little” things people don’t really think about are actually huge things, and I’m finally getting to a point where I’m seeing how these “little” things transfer to how our horses ride and perform in a show and in the joust.
For instance, Kelly and Dave worked with me at length to get Abraham to ride together into the bridle, frame up and then transition gaits. We spent a lot of time working on the walk to trot transition, and I really had to focus on riding him up into the bridle with my seat and leg while not grabbing or pulling on his face. Fast forward to the other day; I’m riding Abe in armor in the lyst practicing passes, and am really working on that upward transition where Abe rides together into the canter. There was one or two passes where we got it, and the power that I felt coming from him was tremendous! He wasn’t just dragging himself through and hanging on the bridle, he had rounded up and driving himself through his hindquarters, and it was a wonderful feeling. The difference from Abe with his head up and back hollowed out running though a pass and Abe with himself rounded up and collected was like riding two different horses, and I bet you can guess which one I preferred!
I worked quite a bit with Marcus as well, and seeing as he is one of the “Old Guard” horses and knows his job extremely well, I felt like I could trust him a little more. I don’t know exactly what it was, but he really helped me realize it’s not just him I can trust, but I need to trust all of the horses more too. I know I’ve touched on this before, about needing to trust the horses more, and it’s really something difficult to do! However, I really think I have made strides in this over the last month, and am so grateful for Marcus, Abe, and Tara. After working with Marcus, I found it easier to trust Abe, and am finally getting to a point where I don’t need to latch on to his face to try and get my point across. There was on day where I spent a lot of my time working with no reins to focus on using my seat and legs, and he took perfect care of me. Once I’d started trusting Abe more, I was able to transition that to Tara. Tara’s only been jousting since February at the Sherwood faire, but just like Abe, Dave has really done a fine job with her. She really wants to try hard, and I’ve only ever once seen her get belligerent and say no to something. Riding Tara has really made me take everything I’ve learned from Marcus and Abe, and apply it to a completely different horse.
Me and Tara “Mighty Mouse” after our ride.
The last week I’ve been riding Tara every day, and every day I grow to like her more and more. She picks things up quick, and although I was a bit worried about her the first few days, she’s really showing me that I can trust her too. We’re still trying to perfect our transitions into the canter, and to ride more collected in the canter, but she tries whenever I ask and I can see a definitive improvement from the first time I asked her to today. The first day I got in armor to ride, she acted like she had completely forgotten what armor was and though it was going to eat her. Thankfully, today she hadn’t a care in a world about it, and I’m very proud of her for that. We practiced our transitions, lance passes, and the baston course, and while she still gets a little sticky while circling the other horse during our baston course, today was the first day I was able to ride her with only one hand and really ask her around with my leg. Oh, and let’s not forget about the best part of Tara; her stops! She gets to the end of that lyst and you can have the biggest drape in your reins, and as soon as you even think about stopping, she’s on it. For being a silly looking, disproportionate horse, she really is great.
The amount of time we have till the shows start is coming to end, and I know it’s going to be here sooner than I would like. I’ve really enjoyed this time just focusing on the horses and working on our technique, but now is the time to go out there and put it into action. I’m excited for the possibilities Tara and I have before us, and even though we’ve already had our rough times doing shows together as Lady Riders in Minnesota, I have high hopes for us here. I know it probably won’t be perfect, and that’s ok, because then we’ll have something to work on, but I fully intend to go out there and give it my all. Like they say, nothing worth having comes easy!
Much love to you all, and wish me and Mighty Mouse luck in the lyst!
Lady of the Knight 
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