364 days later... a momentous moment!

One year ago today, I had a defining moment in my life. I am pretty sure Granite did too. I was up early in the morning and headed with an empty trailer to get my amazing new horse. In the past year he has lived at D's, gone for a month of training with Cynthia and then moved to Lil Aspen Farms where he happily resides now.

Yesterday, it was finally warm enough to work Granite. He remembers everything and trotted around on his lunge rope like a a complete pro. Then I decided to test him a bit and I added some side reins. He was amazing and completely stead. Sometimes I still forget that he is only two (and 9 months). And then, I decided to try something else new. I grabbed my helmet and a mounting block. I put one foot in the stirrup and for the first time, leaned all on my weight onto his saddle. He didn't move a muscle. So, I tried it again. He took a few steps forward so I hopped off and lead him back to the mounting block. This time, I put all my weight into the stirrup and moved my weight into his center of gravity and then.... lifted my right leg over his back and.... SAT ON MY HORSE for the first time ever.

He didn't move a muscle. I'm not sure if this was because he was scared (the first time he wore a blanket he wouldn't move an inch) or because he was being good. As you can see, he just looked back at me and seemed to ask "mom, whatcha doin up there? and can I nibble on your boot?" I got off and on 2 more times putting all of my weight in the stirrups and sitting properly on the horse, all as beautifully uneventful as the first time. I was absolutely elated, the view from up there was worth every minute of the 364 days that I waited. It is starting to become real to me that in just a few months, I won't just be sitting on my amazing boy, I'll be riding him. By this fall, I hope to have him in schooling shows and taking him to hunter paces. Its unreal and absolutely blissful, I am in truly in love with this horse. 

In other, significantly less exciting news, I have worked out every day from monday-saturday this week. I am so sore today that I can barely move, but I have lost 3 pounds and already seem to see a difference in my strength. I finally received my Rider's Fitness book. It is very technical and illustrates many exercises which you would need a gym to perform. But there are also many exercises that I could do with just dumbbells, a balance ball, and bands. I am currently using some dvds that I can do in the morning before work. Hopefully, I can buy some supplies in the next month or so and begin following the Rider's Fitness book in addition to the 6 week dvd program that I am trying to follow. After sitting on my horse, it makes it all the more imperative to quickly get my strength up in preparation for being the rider of such an amazing, special, and talented creature.