Thursday, August 8, 2013

Who am I and What is this all about!!!!

My name is Clodagh aka "The Glamorous Gaucho" (self acclaimed title). I'm a 21st century lady in her thirties who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty and a dab hand at DIY if I do say so myself! However I am a girly girl and not a tom boy who always likes to retain her womanly and fashion conscious status!! My new aim is trying to sustain my ladylikeish / fashionista status while learning how to horse ride hence the self acclaimed new title!!! WHAT a challenge!!!
The Glamorous Gaucho & Arthur in action
I have always dreamed about being a horse rider and thought at some stage I would take it up. My dream's fruition began last year when I took my first proper lesson in Blackberry Stables, Laragh, Maynooth, Co. Kildare. I say proper lesson as I had been on horses before and I had joined in an equestrian club in college to, what I had hoped was to begin my horse riding hobby. However only on my first lesson in Blackberry Stables with instructor Vincent Dempsey did I realize that I had never had a proper lesson up to that point!

So what do i mean a 'Proper Lesson'?
Well when Vincent aka Vinnie asked me to walk Tubs (aka The lady of the yard) I kicked with both legs and she walked for a few steps then would stop so I'd kick again and she'd dutifully do the same walk for a few steps then stop. Then Vincent asked me to trot and I kicked again but to no avail Tubs would walk but NOPE no trot. So even though I had been horse riding for a whole semester in college it took me this first lesson to realize these essential points of horse riding:

1.  I did not know that you must give an aid to walk the whole time you want your horse to walk.
Meaning - you tap your left leg then your right in time and sync with the horse - just as if you are walking with the horse and not just sitting there.

2. You must change your aid to communicate with the horse that you want to trot. 
Meaning - you tap both your legs in quick succession to let the horse know you want to trot and squeeze every time you sit in order to maintain the trot. (for rising trot)

The penny finally dropped after this lesson that I had never actually had a lesson at all. All I had had was a pony ride but not a horse riding lesson. And thus my true journey of horse riding began......

I hope to use this blog as a diary to record my gallantrous efforts and spectacular failings at becoming a horse rider while always trying to maintaining my title of 'The Glamorous Gaucho'.