Sundays with Daniel

I found Daniel when I was finishing my undergrad degree at Penn. 40-something, fat, arthritic, taking classes on my lunchbreaks for 5 1/2 years, and a job that was making me insane, I started looking for a place to take driving lessons.

I found Legacy Stables in MD. I started taking not driving, but riding lessons on Daniel!!! He took such good care of me that before I knew it, I was half-leasing him and my Sundays were then carved in stone. I spent Sundays with Daniel, either taking lessons, riding on my own, or sometimes just driving down to groom him. He helped me stay sane. When I was up on this 17.2 Percheron, who spent his formative years as an Amish plow horse, I forgot about everything except staying on! :-)

It's been about a year an a half since I started spending my Sundays with Daniel. I have a much better job, and I'm in grad school, but I still spend my Sundays with Daniel. I've still got a lot to learn, and it's finally time I started tracking what we've done so far.

The first time I rode Daniel, my instructor, Leeandra, wanted me to start riding him bareback. BAREBACK!!!! He's 17.2 and weighs a ton! Was she crazy??? We had to put a 3-step mounting block on a trailer ramp so I could get my fat ass and arthritic back and knees up on him! But, I found it therapeutic for me. I cleared my mind of everything except balancing myself on his back, adjusting to his movements, and just staying on!

Now, a bit over a year later, we're walking, posting the trot and trotting 2-point, and jumping little crossrails. I dislike jumping, but understand why I have to know how to hop little things. I'm looking forward to our first controlled canter (we've cantered accidentally before!!!)