Thursday, August 15, 2019
Yesterday, I loaded the horses and drove over the mountains for sessions with our driving trainer, Megan. Each horse had individual goals. Sunni needed a workout to make sure she has recovered fully from an inoculation that stiffened her neck for several days. Rosie needed a trotting expedition down the road, to make several crossings over a bridge that previously she had resisted.
Both mares rose to their challenges. Sunni trotted in the arena, evenly and correctly curving her neck, while making circles of 40-meters (a dressage-competition requirement). Rosie trotted a mile down the road, and crossed that bridge back and forth a half-dozen times, soon not noticing it.
Megan is sponsoring a driving clinic at her barn and has invited me. The guest driver is a world-class, and consistently-winning competitor, for students to ride with. Megan suggests I bring Sunni for this, as she’s better-prepared than Rosie for driving formally. I have agreed to participate, for input from a different expert will enlighten our progress and needs.
Another element is that, without seriously having planned to compete, I’m going ahead and biting the bullet. I’ll start preparing Sunni and me to compete. A reason to move in this direction is knowing my horse is terrific. Sunni is dependable and capable, even-tempered and pleasant to drive, and in fabulous physical condition. New challenges are motivators that will keep us moving and practicing.
All this feels sort of overwhelming…and really happening. In the beginning, I wanted simply to know how to drive a horse.
Dear Friends: Be careful what you bite off, for no telling where it’ll lead. Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 
So is this a clinic or a judged competition? Either way you’ll learn a lot. Good on you.
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It’s a clinic, no competition. One day, we’ll work in the arena on dressage, and on my second day, we’ll work in the field with cones and obstacles. My horse is good with respect to cones and obstacles, but I’m weak because of frequent confusion between my right and my left, and too-often ask her to take an incorrect direction. You’re right, I’ll learn lots…and before the event will try to focus on right and left.
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