Ibuprofen is my friend

Took my first ride on Monte today. Also had my first fall.

E discovered a few days ago that Monte is not a fan of water. I learned today that this also extends to muddy spots. He placed one foot into the mud, and shied to the right while I flew to the left. I am happy to say that I have enough padding on my backside that, although I hurt, I am doing fine. Just pretty stiff and sore now. After I first fell I had trouble standing up - kept blacking out - but within a few minutes I climbed back up into the saddle and had him walk around the arena partway. I quickly discovered that I wasn't able to lift my right leg over the cantle, so I had to perform a rather inelegant dismount from the off-side.

E, who is also afraid of mud (that's how Curly slipped when she broke her ankle), led a very nervous Monte through the mud. Friend T also helped him get over this fear by riding him through it.

While I was on Monte, it was the strangest sensation to feel his entire body bend under me. He is nothing like the stiff barge named Curly! I also learned that I haven't got a clue on how to make him go or turn. Everything is so different on him.

It is abundantly clear that I do not know how to ride a horse. Yet.

Fear

I discovered this past week that I am very nervous when I get up in the saddle on Curly's back. I rode him twice, and both times was too afraid to do more than a walk. It is obvious that I just don't trust him - I've seen him be naughty with E a few too many times. With every twitch and head-shake, I imagine myself being bucked off and lying in the dirt. Each time that I found myself getting too tense, I stopped him and just sat and breathed deeply. Seemed to help a bit.

I did learn to "steer" him more precisely. We wove in and out of poles and around cones; he managed to figure out where I was asking him to go pretty accurately.

My goal for the next ride is to take him up to a trot.