Week 54: Humbling

I cant believe that I have owned Corofin for a year. The journey has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. While it would be easy for me to blog about all of Finn’s successes (there are lots of them!) I feel like this is my opportunity to talk about what I need to work on. Last weekend I took Finn to Plantation Field. After hearing that Boyd Martin (yes, that Boys Martin) was my dressage judge, I flew around the trailer with a wet rag, wiping down tack that I ought to have cleaned earlier and attempting to whiten the stains in Finn’s socks. Overall, the dressage went fairly well, giving us a 20.5 and a 6th place position. Then came stadium. It is no secret to my friends, family and trainers that show jumping is my least favorite part of anything. Normally my warm up is filled with nerve-induced exclamations that I am destined for failure. However, this show was different. Finn warmed up beautifully; easily finding the distances and getting his changes. In the ring he was VERY perky. This perkiness was only amplified by a flaw in my riding- my inability to sit down in the saddle and stay sitting. That said, we made it out with only one rail. Coming out of stadium I was super excited! We had made it to the best part and we might actually get a ribbon. Much to my dismay, Finn and I’s water issues returned with yet another elimination.

At first I was angry. I thought that I had let him down and worst of all, I thought maybe I just wasn't trying hard enough. Here is the thing about horses- they don’t care about you. I love Finn, more than anything, but at the end of the day he really loves grass. In the last year Finn and I have grown into a pretty great pair (can you tell that I am bias?) but that does not mean that things are suddenly perfect. OTTB’s are curious creatures. They possess the intellect to both learn quickly and outsmart you. They posses the athletic ability to both jump and stop a stride out. They also have the ability to force you to recognize your own flaws. No rider is perfect. No person is perfect. With horses, the moment you start thinking you are great, the first second that you allow yourself to say, “wow look how great this is” your horse will remind you that you are wrong.

The last year has given me a balanced confidence. I am no longer insecure about my riding (most of the time) and I finally feel like part of the barn team. I also understand that things are not always in my control, and with horses you can’t be cocky. I know that they next season will be a great one, with ups, downs and the occasional sideways. Over the winter I hope to work on my position and fitness (more on that next week). I also plan to make the blog weekly!