Amy L. Wink, Ph.D.

amywink April 9th, 2012

Wildflowers are in full swing this year, a wonderful sight and evidence of the ended drought in Caldwell County. Will has been having a relaxed spring but we got back to work yesterday with my newest goal: ride. After some recommendations from Francine, I’m moving forward to see what he remembers from his riding days, some 6 years ago now. I had a huge triumph with Saturday’s riding lesson. I rode outside for the first time! And I had a great time! Moving out of the enclosed arena, and the very controlled environment, could have triggered a set back but the experience was a resounding success. I rode the entire dressage field, which I am used to driving, and was able get Dol collected and steered correctly. My obsession with driving straight lines (and yes, circles) paid off and I was able to do a pretty decent straight line as well. Next time, I may strap on that GPS and see what a riding lesson looks like!

Because of Saturday’s triumph and with the recommendations for seeing what Will remembers, I saddled him up on Sunday and lunged him at all 3 gaits to see what might happen. Nothing happened. Whew. He walked well, trotted well, and trotted *very fast* well though I asked him to canter. He eventually oooooomphed into the canter with a little heave (not really a buck) and did reasonably well too. Of course, it was clear that his off time had caught up to him and he was more than a wee bit out of shape. We’ll be doing some lunge work to get him back in shape and improve his topline. After our lunge work, I harnessed him up for a nice short drive too and we enjoyed Easter Sunday together in the spirit of renewal and rebirth.

Blessing continues to impress in her training and looks wonderfully fit and completely gorgeous.

She’s looking at a miniature horse here and getting ready to show her stuff. Somehow, though, she’s taken on her brother’s forelock and clearly needs a bit of product to get that unruly thing under control!

Of course, in harness, the forelock is not important and she showed her stuff on the dressage field. As usual, every week, she’s more and more confident in her work and looks fantastic.

She is still concerned about unusual things but her response is relatively calm as she gets a bit taller and looks hard at any concern. Here, she’s noticing a person walking down to the dressage field, still pretty and working but cautious.

But after checking things out, she got back to work and did her job very well.

I had another ride along, though no photos because of the jiggling, and can’t wait to get into the driver’s seat for a test drive. It may be a while still, since she’s just 3 weeks into her carriage work. She looks so good, it’s hard to remember she’s only beginning.

• Carriage Driving , Dressage , Driving Training , Riding Lessons
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amywink February 20th, 2012

This is the lovely Dol on a sunny day earlier in the month. In the midst of Saturday’s rain storms, I had my third riding lesson with her– in the cozy and covered arena. It is certainly a good time to take up a horsey activity that can be conducted indoors. I am leaning toward being very tired of the rain, though we now have an Official “Much Improved” outlook for the drought through May. I will keep riding if it keeps raining–though really, I am unlikely to stop riding even if it’s not raining!

I am gaining confidence and strength with my third lesson and many things are clicking into place–leg position, foot position, seat position as I get more and more relaxed in the saddle. My hands, it seems, need the least adjustment. Whew. I’m also not nearly as sore as when I began! Morning yoga has definitely helped.

At my last lesson, I noticed how much more swiftly I could tell what issue Dol and I were having and quickly correct it–getting deep into the corners and bending in the turn, for example, which can be Quite A Lengthy Discussion while we drive. It’s also becoming clear how she gathers her entire body to move correctly forward, rather than simply faking it with a nicely curved neck. Of course, it’s quite different than the experience from the box seat. Instead of watching her gather herself correctly, I can feel her collect her body and feel her elasticity in the movement. Once I get back to driving, I suspect this will enhance my interpretations of what I am seeing as well.

My obsession with driving the perfect circle did pay off yesterday when Malen asked me to trot a 20 meter circle and I was able to do it! Everything Francine taught me about driving the circle translated to riding the circle. Riding the circle underscored the importance of excellent body posture to create the circle. My tendency to lean forward and into the circle while driving is not at all practical in the saddle and thus was instantly corrected!

I have to admit that when I started my riding lessons, I thought my riding goals would be minimal and mainly a single one: stay on. But now, just a very short way into the journey, I have tripped some cognitive switch and the links between riding and driving are suddenly illuminated and the way once dimly lit now blazes much more intensely.

• Carriage Driving , Dressage , Driving Training
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amywink January 24th, 2012

Blessing continues to blossom in training and is turning into quite the little dressage princess. Though she has expressed Certain Opinions with her elegant tail, she remains fairly willing her education. Here she is after a difficult side-pass (moving to the side while remaining straight) While it certainly must be a challenge to figure out where all four legs must go at the same time, she is figuring stuff out with only a little display of ire.

Generally, she’s doing extremely well and I can see excellent progress on her part. Will may not recognize his little sister once she graduates!

• Carriage Driving , Morgan horses , Dressage , Dressage Patterns , Driving Training
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