Frustrated Fool

Me not the mare!

Kika was angelic last night, she was a super star to put up with the muppet riding her (again - me).
I was still on such a high from Sunday that i was overthinking while attempting to school last night and just plain trying to hard!
Admittedly at least i realised this and kept apologising to the poor mare who was trying her hardest to understand what i wanted from her. In my attempts to straighten myself in the saddle i think i tensed my back too much and was just not relaxed in my riding - i reckon this was the case as my lower back was not comfortable at all while i was in the saddle - note to myself for this evening: "Don't do that again"!

Bless Kika she was a star, numerous times she could have gotten as frustrated with me as i was with myself and thrown a wobbly - but the thought never crossed her mind! She was cool and calm under all sorts of pressure from my mupperty - only once did she throw a cranky buck, which she hasn't done in ages and actually made me laugh out loud at myself as it hammered home the fact i am a muppet! She made me smile though and i needed that in the end, ;)

I realised when i got home and had mulled over where i was going wrong (so many places and probably even more that i don't even realise) that i shouldn't have focused on what i was focusing on - getting correct strike off in canter as it is not a strength for me yet - i must practice more and with less pressure on myself. We did get it right once or twice and i was sure to praise her overtly when she did to hopefully balance out all my muppetry in between. My epihany moment when i got home was to realise i shouldn't have focussed all my attention on what wasn't working right and should have worked on something else for a while - something we could do better and then possibly go back to what i was trying to learn.

Live and learn!

I'll try not to get so caught up in one thing in the future and remind myself to mix stuff up a bit more...We did also work on our circles in rising and sitting trot, although because I was so tense in my back she was a lot less smoother than she had been on Sunday...again all my fault.
I was so disappointed in myself and my carry on - but have to put it behind me now and not dwell on it, yet keep in mind where i went wrong and avoid repeating my mistakes. I am so so so so so proud of her though as she really was a super star and did try her heart out but the jockey (me) was just being an ass and couldn't get her point across clearly.