I am so excited to be bringing you this blog!!! For those of you that don't know I had a baby 2 weeks ago! My husband Phil and I were very excited to bring Tyler Phoenix Kelley into the world 6 days overdue on the 6th September. He is an amazing baby and I am loving being a second time mum! Danika is also smitten with her younger brother and we are all having fun even though there is not much sleep going on for me!
My three competition horses have been brought back into work and I am SO LOVING riding them again!!! Can I say that again... I AM LOVING riding them again!!!!! Riding like with so many of us is such a core of who I am. So I am thrilled to be back in the saddle and working toward my goals!
We have a competition coming up in 2 weeks on the 4th October and again two comps the following week 9th and 10th of October all to hopefully with the aim of getting all three horses qualified for the Victorian Dressage Championships in December.
Gretchen (Dynamite Hit) owned together with Nicole Lorenzetto will hopefully qualify preliminary level and novice level.
Dante (Ebony Park Dante) owned together with Hans and Ginger Althoff will hopefully qualify medium.
...and Abe, the superstar, my main man owned by myself will be in the Grand Prix and the Kur. I have told my amazing husband to knock up a new kur for Abe and myself between now and December... so here’s hoping Tyler keeps sleeping and Phil can concentrate on that! Phil is an AMUS A pianist and is seriously the most talented musician I have ever met, so I am really looking forward to riding what he comes up with!
Getting back into the saddle after a second pregnancy isn't easy. My brain is telling my body to tighten muscles that are just not there any more! There is still a hormone called relaxin in your body that causes your muscles to be soft and relaxed - which obviously doesn't help riding! And my abdominals have a 2cm separation which obviously also isn't ideal when you want them to be joined together and able to be used when you ride. As a result I am moving a lot more than I usually do and to be honest I can't stand watching me ride as it is so ugly! Add to that 20kg that isn't normally on my frame and I am literally feeling not myself when I am in the saddle.
However... I know all of that won't just go away by itself. I will never get back to being the rider I used to be unless I start riding and getting my body used to it again. That is why I ride. Every ride gets me one step closer to being the still, balanced rider I used to be. Every single ride gets me one step stronger, one step more balanced. I encourage all of you riders that perhaps aren't where you want to be in your riding to just get out there and start doing. Every ride will get you a step closer to your goal, whereas every ride you don't ride keeps you at the same place.
If you would like to feel even more encouraged in your riding, I have recorded a video on my free you tube channel YourRidingSuccess. The video is posted below and is all about the three mistakes riders make in their sitting trot and is a video of me sitting trot (10 days after the birth of Tyler!) explaining all the mistakes I am making as I am not strong enough yet to do it without mistakes.
I have had great feedback about the video and would love to share it with the EQ life viewers to help you achieve success!!!!
I can't wait to update you in a couple of weeks and let you know the results from the comps!!! Whatever happens I can guarantee I will learn something and I look forward to sharing the learnings with you!!!!
