Autonomy

The last night at the old barn. New barn updates soon!

One of the things about the new barn that I'm honestly looking forward to at this point is actually taking a break from lessons. As a background I've taken weekly music lessons since I was 5, had a brief break when I wasn't taking music lessons or riding lessons and then started riding lessons a few years ago.

I'm absolutely a student and certainly no expert. I will be taking as many lessons as I can afford with S2 (goal is at least monthly if not bi-weekly) and hopefully do a clinic or two but I'll also be spending a lot of time working through things on my own. I'm confident that at the least I know when to involve expert help and at the most that with all of the resources I have at my disposal I'll still make decent progress.

moved the pony and then flew to OH
for work the beginning of this week.

What's funny is that with my history of taking lessons and the way I grew up where learning from experts was the only way we did things, I feel a little like I need an adult to make this decision. Then I realize that I'm an adult and if I don't have weekly lessons in the budget and also just want to have more time to work on homework between lessons that's completely up to me.

This could absolutely still change. I may assess and decide that I really need to prioritize weekly lessons over other items and go back to having them. I'll also hopefully have some eyes on the ground from my friend M between lessons.

Also, right at this moment Katai has more buttons than she has strength. We have a technically correct leg yield, shoulder in, haunches in, walk/canter transition, counter canter, lengthening, etc. but need to practice all of the above and gain strength in all of the above. Of course they can always be improved and I don't want to practice them incorrectly but there are just so many things to practice and get back right now. Especially after this really inconsistent winter I feel like I've got mounds of homework and not enough time to just work on it and practice the things.

Veggie with his favorite
crew/puppy sitter while I'm gone.

I also want to incorporate more downtime days doing ground work, riding on trails, potentially doing trailer practice etc. and with limited time at the barn (hopefully I can still make it out 5 days a week) I really want to be able to do those things and still make some dressage progress between lessons rather than not doing the fun downtime things because I feel like I don't have enough time between lessons.

I'm excited to take this step and whether it works long term or not it will be fun to not have that weekly commitment for awhile.