Working on My Posting

Working on My Posting

Last winter, I sprained my ankle really bad.  It was so bad that months later, it still hurts when I ride, though it is gradually getting better, week by week.  It feels the worst when I post.  

I don't complain about it these days, because back in January--it really, really hurt when I posted.  Now it just hurts just a little bit.

I never missed a ride, I just did what I could.  I could feel myself going crooked, so I fought that.  Sometimes I had some trouble with my rhythm, too, because the ankle would get tired.

I got through all of that, but by the time I was trotting long distances on the trail, I found myself missing a beat, now and then.  It got me to examine my posting, and I realized that a winter in pain created a few bad habits that needed correcting.

I figured out the adjustments that needed to be made--that was the easy part.  What I am doing now is practicing and trying to form new habits.  It is so easy to get distracted when I am trail riding.  There is always something to see, and then I find myself slipping back...

As always, when it comes to posting, I need to practice it on both diagonals.

There is one good thing about practicing your riding when you are on trail--with a good horse like Cole, I can just tell him how fast I want to go, and then all I need to do is focus on what I am trying to do.  Good habits are created by repetition, and we can work on lots of repetition on the trail.

I'm glad to say that after a month of working on my posting, there are times I find that I am doing it correctly even without trying.  The new habit is forming.

We never stop learning to ride.  There are always improvements that can be made and bad habits that can be fixed.  I don't find it to be frustrating that I can never ride as well as I want to.  Instead, I find it motivating.  Learning and improving can be so much fun--and so rewarding.  I have to confess that I find myself smiling when I check my posting, and I am doing it correctly.