Upping The Ante

Wednesday night is lesson night around our barn. Most of my trainer's clients can't come out during the day since they work, so they come at night. Usually Wednesdays are a lot of fun because there are between 6 and 9 people coming out to ride. Everyone encourages each other and my trainer turns everyone's lesson into a lesson for everyone, as we can all watch and learn as everyone goes. Of course you have to check your ego at the door for this to work! I'm used to it, personally. Most every time I get a lesson and there are people here, I am used as an object lesson for the others; it is rare he actually will coach me--I have to listen to what he is telling the others I am doing wrong or right and make adjustments accordingly. I get my real lessons when no one is here.

Anyway, everyone got there late on Wednesday and so when I was done saddling and warming up all their horses, I asked my trainer if I could get my horse and he said no. This is rare; I really must not pout because most times I can always ride too. I could understand it. After all, it was really cold outside and getting late. But I guess about 3/4 the way through everyone's lessons he must have gotten tired of watching me pouting at the fence (hahahaha) and told me to go get my horse. I got Baby Jane instead of Hal because I haven't blanketed Hal this year and he is a big fuzz ball. Baby Jane is much more slick coated so she would dry easier.

I have been pretty confident on Baby Jane this week. So I got her out smugly, warmed her up quickly and stepped up to the cow like "watch this!" hahaha
And we were smokin... we looked like Snaffle Bit Futurity champions or something. Of course my trainer is smart and saw I was showing off so what does he do? What he always does when he sees someone get cocky; he upped the ante. He yelled at me to put my hand down now and don't pick it up DON"T PICK IT UP!!!!

EEEK! Well I haven't ever put my hand down on Baby Jane and of course he caught me off guard. I put my hand down and he yelled to give her more rein. I admit I was a bit nervous because of Baby Jane's propensity for seeing the reins swinging out of the corner of her eye and getting scared and suddenly jumping 15 feet sideways. This did happen several times to the delight of the people watching and my trainer, who chastised me for letting her do that and yelled to relax and just go to cutting. Of course I've been in this situation now many times and feel I'm getting the hang of it. That's the thing; he puts pressure on me and I am starting to be able to step up to the plate and perform anyway. That's what a competitor must do. So I hunkered down, pushed on my horn, pushed on Baby Jane's neck, whispered a prayer about doing well even on such a green horse and went to trusting my stops. And we cut. We cut pretty good!

Later, one of my trainer's non pros' said wow he really puts the pressure on you; and I said, yeah, well Bill Belichick isn't easy on Tom Brady either. I was happy that, but for a few bobbles in the intereim when I was nervous about the ante being upped, I managed to gather my wits and get to my job, doing it well at the end. As we walked back to the corner of the pen where everyone else was gathered on their horses, my glasses fogged up from the steam and I was hot in my jacket. Baby Jane was self satisfied and confident; confident enough to take a bite out of Peg's horse, Scrapper, as he innocently stood next to her. I guess she counts herself among the "big guns" now that she can be a hand down cutting horse!