It's raining, it's pouring

I don't think I've ever seen the heavens open up so quickly and violently as they did yesterday. I was hoping that, after a light sprinkle during the day, we would be able to ride outside again, but, no. When Miss Tanya picked me up, it was raining, not hard, but it was obvious and warranted a sweater. As we drove, it looked like the storm was moving away. I was wrong. We got to the barn, and I went up to the small barn to get Baby. I brushed her off and started on my way to the indoor. I kind of wished that I hadn't looked behind me. If you have ever seen James and the Giant Peach, recall the scene where the Black Rhino cloud shows up. That's what I saw behind me, so I started running.

It was actually slightly more terrifying.

The ladies were waiting for me at the other barn, opening the gates to salvation (the barn doors). I got Baby tacked up, hopped on, and started getting to work. We trot around on the rail, and I did a couple of circles and transitions. Her trot to halt is getting better and better. I had her on a longer contact this time, but she still went right onto the bit without any arguments. She wasn't dropping back behind the vertical as much and she stayed very relaxed, smooth, and willing. The biggest thing that I was working on during my flatwork was staying balanced. The fact that I lean to the left is throwing Baby off going to the right; bending in the corners is getting difficult, so I was consciously putting more weight in my right stirrup, but still it was difficult to keep her from cutting.

We moved on to trot overs, and for once in a long time she actually trot over the darn thing. (I have been bribing this horse for a couple of months now. You would think that she would have done this earlier.) We try to canter out, and she's just like, "Neigh, not today," so I pushed her forward. Then Miss S had us line up to go individually, and that was when all hell broke loose. We did this line four times, two times each way, and she went like a bullet train through it every time. Screw dropping my weight back. I was holding on for dear life.

The funny part about it all is that, when we went to do our courses, I had to push her during both of them. Maybe the rain was throwing her off; by the time we were 10 minutes into the lesson, it was pouring violently . . . perfect trail riding weather. The first course was horrid, but the second one was much better. Miss S had an oxer set up, which was a no-no, but then she had a triple set up, which was okay. Of course we came in at a longer distance, and I had to push her through the whole thing, but the third jump was funny because the distance was so long and my equitation was so bad. I'm still focusing on that lower leg of mine, and it's starting to get better. It doesn't go back nearly as far as it used to, but we still have movement, and my toes turn out.

After everyone did their two courses, we were allowed to have some fun, so I schooled a figure-8 over the oxer. Miss S tried to make me do a flying change. I said, "No. I don't like flying. I'm afraid of heights," and I don't think they got it.

Fifi was kind enough to drive me home because she just got a new car and wanted to flaunt (she is lucky I love her). We started driving, and it was kind of cold, so we tried to turn on the heat, but Fiona didn't know how. I started messing with some things (there is a guardian angel watching over me making sure that I do not do things that are overly stupid), but I got the heat on. Unfortunately, the windshield, the teeny tiny windshield with three wiper blades, started fogging up, and we didn't know how to un-fog it. We were laughing about it, but on the inside we were both panicking, so Fifi asked me if I had anything to wipe the windshield with. The only thing I had in my bag was a pad. We stopped. I undid my seat belt, and I wiped that windshield clean with that pad . . . then it started getting foggy again, so I referred to physics, and turned on the cold air and the windshield vents, and that's how I saved the day.