A lesson!

After a seven months-plus hiatus, Bestie and I had a lesson yesterday. I was really looking forward to it and definitely feeling like it was time to have another set of eyes on us. I rode the day prior to the lesson, and she was good.

There was a little mix up with the lesson time, which meant that we didn't get the full amount of time Sue typically allots. Which was ok. Because when we were done, I was done. It wasn't that Bestie was bad, but she was definitely a bit "up." She's in heat, and overnight became super attached to her new stall neighbor, as well as excessively interested in everyone's business. Her new stall neighbor happened to be having a lesson in the indoor while we were in the outdoor, so there was a lot of calling back and forth. And a lot of replying from the horses in the barn. Lots of conversations that were wayyy more interesting to her than what we were doing in the ring.

With her head way up in the air and super attentiveness to everything going on around her, I felt all my old nervousness coming back. We did just one circle at the trot, and spent the rest of the time at the walk working on encouraging Bestie to focus, and on addressing my old bad habits, which also had come back. Arms too stiff. Turning my hands palm up. Holding too tightly to the reins. It was good to have the feedback. Good to have someone remind me, "take a few deep breaths," and feel Bestie respond. She's been so laid back, it kind of threw me for a loop to have to deal with the lack of focus and "nah, I don't want to listen to you" stuff again. Good to have the lessons to keep us on track.