She discovered herself in the lost and found

I have never been a very confident rider, years in the saddle haven’t eased my worry though a few horses broke through my walls enough for me to enjoy a nice canter. I always think about the worst possible scenario and think that my balance is less than stellar. The horse I loved before Jasper was perfect for where I was at that time. He never asked for more than I was ready to give, but Jasper makes me want to be better for him. Today Jasper and I reached a milestone in our relationship by cantering for the first time. For fifteen minutes in the round pen I was asking for a canter and got no more than a very fast trot, I called Leslie and asked what I was doing wrong and after a few minutes of talking we came up with a different approach. Before I climbed down to tackle the experience from a different angle I decided to give it another try. My tenacious nature is something Jasper is learning to live with. This time he eased right into a nice three beat canter, I was so surprised that we only made it once around the round pen before we stopped for me to frantically call Leslie to give her the news. Jasper probably thinks I am an emotional mess because when we were done I cried into his neck and not the bad kind of cry, but the good, unbelievably proud kind of cry. I have never wanted to “own” a horse I want a partnership. I want to be the person that untangles his mane, scratches itches, doctor scrapes, and give kisses. At just a couple of months in we are still at the very beginning of our partnership and I think his confidence balances out my caution nicely. 

Jasper posing before our ride

Intent on what lay ahead of us

Feeling all scratchy