Adventures in dressage land

As I mentioned in my last post, I left work early on Friday and headed to a suburb outside of Chicago to visit my friend M and hangout over the weekend. M and I grew up riding together. Her family’s two horses went out with P and we were frequently off doing crazy things together such as jumping P double bareback (P really is the best) and getting the barn’s golf cart stuck in some mud on the trails in the middle of the summer.

M and I at an Anne Kursinski Clinic years ago

A few years ago M made a switch to dressage and purchased a horse of her own (not to worry P’s friends from back in the day are still around and under the care of M’s mom who is local to me).

Anyways, I got into town and after a quick stop for some dinner we were off to the barn so I could meet M’s horse Blackberry (BB for short), an 8 year old Canadian Sport Horse (Percheron/TB cross). I had never met BB but I had of course seen plenty of pictures and heard stories about her over the last few years. BB is quite the pretty girl, and very well-mannered.

Post ride droolfest pose

BB tried to wipe her drool on me, it was scary

Group selfie! Taking my skills to new levels!

We of course hung out at the barn late and then headed back to M’s house and proceeded to talk horses and dogs (she has three as well) until we were too tired to talk anymore.

M had set up a lesson on Saturday so I could watch. I really enjoyed watching the difference between a dressage lesson where everything is so broken apart and specific versus my world of general directions of what to adjust or change. For example, at one point the trainer was telling M to make sure she was pushing BB into her right rein while she was trotting left and was specifically telling her what to do. It was very neat to watch BB improve and relax through her back throughout the lesson.

Before lesson BB cuddle/selfie

Beefcake mare! Love this shot.

Pretty mare face

M was nice enough to let me get on BB and walk her around after the lesson. We hadn’t planned ahead so I didn’t have breeches on but it was fun to sit in a dressage saddle for the first time and talk with M about how I should be sitting and see BB’s head drop when I was doing it correctly!

Walking around on BB

After the lesson BB got a bath then we took her out for grass and pictures.

Me and BB, love this one

Pretty mare with a pretty background

M and I also did a road trip to the local Dover and to Saddler’s Row for some shopping on Saturday. I didn’t make any big purchases, but loved browsing around and hanging out with M most of all.

It was a great weekend!