Baby is on the level

After a year and a half I sucked it up and went to physical therapy (PT).

Three years ago today, I was physically dumped by my young horse. He managed to give me a concussion, and two dislocated shoulders on a soppy wet Valentine's Day. I managed to pop my shoulders back into place (youthful stupidity), get on for another two minutes and get home.

I didn't start feeling the effects until three months down the road when I couldn't really sleep on my right side or breath truly deeply.

My PT-ist came recommended by the girl who does Sinari's work. He is also a rider, and has a dressage background.

I went consistently for six months before I felt utterly broke and really, really, really good.

Roll around a year and a half later (now), I felt like a cripple.

Falling off, walking on my current surface and riding babies took its toll. My shoulders locked, I felt my neck sinking into my chest, and my lower back tight enough to bounce quarters off of it. I felt like a real life Picasso painting.

So I sucked it up. I called my PT person.

I spent an solid hour and change on the table doing and having hard adjustments on my body. For the first ten hours it felt great, then the soreness kicked in, and that wasn't so good. But it's evened out.

Lo!

It worked. Not 100 percent (still want to pitch forward) and I'm due in four weeks. But it did wonders for my attitude and riding.

The mare instantly responded, the haunches in on the right became much easier. The lesson was fabulous today, working on half steps to super collected to pirouette work. In the end we were working on transitions in and out of the gaits.

Next week though we kick off the season. Doing second level test two. The goal is to bump up in June.

On the side bar, I'm looking into GOV registration for both mares. If not GOV then ISR and/or RPSI. Sinari will easily make Elite mare status in a year's time. May's get will have to speak volumes, but if conditioned correctly she should at least make second book.

Dressage Pony 2.0

I'm a geek.

Actually a huge one and I'm fairly particular about what I use. You see, I wrote in my Xanga account for YEARS (almost four I believe), and I've recently come to really not like the layout, formatting and the beyond basic services.

So I'm making a switch over to blogger.

My name is Kelly Gage, I'm an Editor, a writer, a web designer/content developer, Head of Marketing and above all-- a dressage rider.

Despite riding ala Amateur status, I'm pretty damn serious and my ponies. I ride six days a week, rain, sleet, snow or shine. I train with some pretty cool people and have the support of some of the best and brightest in their world.

And the ponies? Far from typical too.

There's Sinari, who is a '99 model welsh cob mare (pictured above), who I've been owned by since she was four. Extremely clever, handy and intelligent, she's my top horse at 14.1 hands. She's schooling straight through third, with fourth thrown in there. Recently showed second with the goal towards earning bronze by next year. Currently learning piaffe, passage and cleaning up the changes.

Then there's Bella, a silver-rated haflinger mare standing at 15.0 hands (owned by Deer Haven Farm). She's a willful tank of blond fluff, just starting her career and lucky to have the ride on her. But despite being green-- she's moving fast and tries extremely hard. She's a solid training level right now with learning first. Super comfortable mare. She should be debuing in spring.

Finally there's May- arabian broodmare and .5 (yet-to-be-born foal).

Together we make a team, and this blog is about their progression.