Pre-Season Workouts and Pre-Season Jitters

Today is Day 1. After John's visit yesterday and the enormous amount of work I have realized I have thirty-something days until the first LRSS Show, I have put myself in 'pre-season training' mode.

I've decided to approach getting ready for the shows like I would approach any other sport - by practice and planning and proper preperation (I know you love the P's there!!)... See, I used to be an athlete - I cheered all through college and any of you out there that think that's not being an athlete I'd love to see you survive the boot-camp style pre-seasons I endured.

Now in my old age, I am (sadly) no longer in the shape I once was... but I have spent years coaching as well and I do remember how one gets ones butt in gear.

So last night I spent some time going through all the old horse magazines I refuse to throw away, thought about what John had told me, and wrote down a plan in my trusty notebook. It's kind of like when I made a plan for coaching cheerleading but instead of pike pushups and toe touches Sky was going to be doing the following:

1. Warm Up by lunging to get her energy out (John's suggestion)
2. Get on and flex both sides to stretch her neck.
3. Walk large and small circles - stretch and make her use her back legs
4. Walk/Trot/Stop transitions - lots of this - both ways, including shoulder in exercises
5. Trotting - circles, spirals, serpentines etc.
6. Turns into the 'fence' at walk and trot
7. Turns into the 'fence' and cue to lope - both directions - lope on correct lead three times around and then transition to walk or trot.
8. More trotting, walking to cool down
9. some work on trail type stuff - trot overs, back-throughs, sidepassing pole and to the mailbox.
10. Short jaunt down the road and back to relax and cool down.

So, that's what we did today. I expect that as we go along I will make up a plan for each day - slightly different in progression so that she doesn't expect anything or get bored (hopefully).

I did give her a good brushing after this day of work and did notice she is somewhat sore on her left side near the center of her back. She seemed sensitive to it while I was currying it, especially when I used more pressure. I took some linament to it as well as put corona on her boo boos which include a new one where it looks like she skinned her knee a little. Poor Sky.

So coming up it is supposed to be warm so I am looking forward to riding more and giving her a bath. I will probably try Josh's saddle to see if that fits her better than mine and see if that is the cause of her pain. Lisa said b/c it is only on one side, then I might be riding crooked... I'll watch out for that too.

I can only hope that we can get in shape and feel good about how we are riding before the shows start. I am nervous about showing this year. I think last year I felt a little ok b/c I had done w/t before and after realizing that there weren't that many people in the classes and that I could do well, I relaxed about it. But this year is the land of the unknown - playing with the big boys (or girls, more acurately). Yeah, yeah, there is all that we like to say about personal best and showing for fun and how it doesn't matter if you do well as long as you have a good time, but anyone that knows me knows that I have a streak of competitiveness. I cannot play a board game without personally wanting to take somebody down - it's just a thing. I like to win and I'm not scared to say so. It's not that I'm evil or anything, I just like to do well - when I don't I take it personally b/c I know there is no one to blame but myself.

So, this year I am feeling the crunch b/c I know that I am the small fish in the big pond and no longer the big fish in the small pond. That's a scary leap to make. I think that as adults it is a pretty brave thing to put yourself (and in this case your horse) out there to be judged. As kids we are expected to - sports and dance recietals and science fairs - but after you enter the land of the working stiffs, you are allowed to fade into the background... go to work, go home and veg out infront of the TV, hang out with friends on the weekend, and do it all again....

But I think it takes a driven person to not only keep working at a skill (doesn't have to be riding but you know what I mean) and then actually ask to be judged on it. I think it brings back our childhood need to be acknowledged and validated. It also brings back our adolescent fear of not getting either!

I was thinking this morning about being in line after a class and waiting to hear what the judge's results and how I would feel if I didn't do well or (gasp) didn't place at all! I am sure I will need to embrace the idea soon enough - we are small fish after all, and I do know that I will have to add a pink and/or green ribbon to my collection at some point, and that's ok because it will be a big pond ribbon and isn't that worth more than a blue in the small pond? Is it? I know it is more valuable but I have to wait to find out if it feels just as sweet or if it will be a bitter pill to swallow.

C