I had been looking forward to the clinic with Jan this weekend, especially as it is the last one for the next six months or so. Jan doesn't do winter in Michigan :-)
As Remy had been going so well lately I was all keyed up, only to hit bottom with a loud thump - or better- a loud wheeze. I sounded like I had been on four packs a day for fifty years. It was one of these days where my lungs just closed up in the arena. Remy was tough to start out with, and then when he heard me wheezing and shaking on top of him,.. well, that was about it. I was pretty devastated and embarrassed. I HATE it when I'm not doing my best, and in this case I just couldn't do it.
It took about all I had to go back today and give it another try. This time JP drove the truck and I was able to double on the meds. Also, I warmed Remy up in the outdoor arena and we opened the large door in the indoor for my lesson. Luckily, today was 'die another day', and we had a very good lesson, including good changes with enough forward momentum and oomph. Jan reminded me that I need to set Remy on the straight and narrow from the beginning, and not wait half an hour before reminding him he has a job to do. We worked on lots on bending lines in the beginning, head to the wall leg yields, shoulder ins, travers, in order to get Remy more through. We had very nice work in all three gaits. Life was good again!
But of course this does not solve my problem: What to do this winter?? I can't ruin my lungs just because I want to ride. To be clear, it's not the riding, it's riding in the only arena I am super allergic to the footing (my doctor is obviously not a fan of this, she thinks I'm nuts because I'm not moving somewhere else), but at this time I'm not coming up with any viable options. JP, pass the wine, that might help - not to find a solution but definitely to make me feel better.
Perhaps Remy and I should just run off into the sunshine: Anyone in SC, AZ, FL, CA... willing to take us in?? :-)
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