Horse Illustrated Magazine

For my second vaulting lesson, I left the stationary barrel behind and moved on to the real deal–an adorable, plump little Haflinger.

After jogging up and down the barn aisle several times to warm up, I donned my old ballet slippers that I haven’t worn since 8th grade (and they still fit!). I practiced my mount-up with the help of the instructor, and at the walk and trot, we worked on my basic seat, the mill, the flag, kneeling, and even standing.

It was kind of scary. I was nervous about doing these exercises at a walk, so it’s going to take a long time before I’m ready for the canter. My instructor said I’m doing very well and praised the fact that I was able to stand on the horse for several strides before having to grasp the handles again (my quads were screaming at me by the end of the lesson, though). Whether or not my nerves can really handle this sport is still up in the air, but I’m not ready to throw in the towel yet!

Stay tuned for more entries. Hopefully I will be able to share some photos with you soon.

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