A Very Good ‘Good Friday’

Yesterday was the day I could finally go and see my friend, Megan and her lovely horse, Murphy!

We have been waiting for restrictions to ease enough to be able to spend a day together in the fresh air, and started counting down the days from the moment we realised it could finally happen again! I never got to go to Pony Club but the excitement of these days are how I’d imagine it would have felt!

We set up a course of obstacles in the school using jump wings, poles, lead ropes and the lunge line, anything that we could find that could be used as something else, and then a pole that was just about raised slightly off the ground by use of the first hole on the jump wings either side.

We weaved through jump wings and tunneled through poles, and started with our “jump” at a walk. We saw, we tried, we conquered! Although a slightly sarcastic celebration followed, it was an absolute start to getting my jumping confidence back! I don’t think I’ve jumped since about August, and even then my confidence had been on a downward slope for fears of run outs, and consequent fallings off! But other than when riding to my line where I had tried to keep positive despite my nerves (and straight to the jump!) I don’t think I stopped smiling for a moment! Another achievement! ♡

Megan had the great idea of popping our pole up to more of a jump but only on one side, something that didn’t look so bad, so I went for it! Murphy was awesome! It went up on both sides and he gave me a canter to the jump, something I have been too nervous to try for about 8 years!

Luckily, we have video proof of the achievement! I watch it and find it too easy to criticise my position, how I responded to him picking up canter, what I should and shouldn’t have done. I recognise this, I accept that’s how I feel but I also make myself consider this… It all happened very quickly and I am out of practice! I should absolutely be proud that even though we started with walking over a pole, those moments were me proving to myself I could ride a line, starting slow and gradually working through the paces. Another important realisation for me was that I could start to trust that Murphy knew what I was asking of him, and he was willing to help me out. Also, whilst it was not perfection, or your typical “instagrammable” snap, it was progress, mindset progress, which has proven a whole lot more difficult than the physical kind over the past year. Yes, both types of progress would be great, but progress is progress, and I will try to remember that and be proud ❤

The help and support of an amazing friend (and their wonderful pony!) is not to be underestimated. Even today, I am smiling at what we have achieved. It was definitely a team effort and I am so very grateful! I couldn’t ask for anymore than that! ♡