I rode Rose four times in the past five days (thanks to Hubs being awesome and taking Jr in the afternoons), and for the first time in nine months I jumped her! It wasn't much of a jump, just a 2' cross rail but a jump non-the-less, and she took it like an old pro.
I'm quite happy that we ended the week on a good note, as our first ride on Saturday was horrid. Rose fought me every stride for fourty-five minutes, including going over trotting poles. After politely walking through them at first, she wanted to jump over them all at once and then she just plain refused to go over them. Eventually I won though, getting her to walk through them. The next day was mildly better, and she went through the poles at both the walk and trot. The third day, Monday, I actually had a horse to ride that I recognized, and even enjoyed myself. She got the following day off so that we could both recharge our batteries. Then today she was a good girl and worked really well for me, so much so that I put up the little ex and we went for it. I rewarded her with a nice walk around one of the large pastures to cool off.
It feels great to be back in the saddle regularly and I finally feel like I'm on the road to getting my pre-baby physique back. Only 13lbs left to lose. It will certainly be nice to fit in my clothes again. However, I've come to realize that it is unlikely that I will be taking Rose to any shows this summer. Horse shows and breastfeeding simply do not seem to go well together. Plus, although I managed to ride regularly this week, it doesn't mean that I'll be able to keep it up consistently enough for Rose to be ready for a show. That's a bit of a bummer, but at least she'll still qualify for the baby-greens next year.
Now, Rose is going to get the next four days off, as we will be visiting the in-laws for a long weekend. I'll be packing my running shoes while taking advantage of grandparent babysitting services so that I can be ready to ride again next week. Have a great holiday everyone!
Happy trails and swooshing tails!
•DS•
Follow my adventures as I bring a long an upper level dressage prospect, starting as a yearling.
It had to feel awesome to jump again! You are doing great - lots to juggle with a little one :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly, it did! I'm starting to get a hang of this mom thing, one day at a time.
DeleteCongratulations on being back to jumping! Wish I had your determination in losing weight :)
ReplyDeleteYay for jumping! And for the weight loss progress. :D I've heard breast feeding is one of the best ways to lose baby weight lol. So when do we get to see pictures of Junior again??? I'm dying to see him!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving reading about your adventures in horses and being a new mother! I can't wait to get back further in your blog and read about horses while you were pregnant, and even before!
ReplyDeletehttp://horseshoesandhearts.blogspot.com/