July 9th - 8:47pm

Oh my goodness what a day. With Rodrigo out, only two grooms here, people trying horses and the vet this afternoon I did not think today would end. The guys were mostly just doing barn chores which left Alice and I to tack most everything up. Which is fine but since she doesnt know all the horses/stuff yet, it is slow. So today's riding took forever. We didn't finish the last horse until after 6:00pm. Plus after the extended break last week most were a touch wild. Nothing major but there were a few times of just sit back, pick your hands up and send them forward. Will learn to ride the unexpected here in addition to the jumping/flatwork. A lot of room for improvement in both areas. Today, especially, I realized just how much of a novice I still am. Could not get a good/solid downward transition that I liked on a single horse without Martin coaching me to it. So frustrating. Too much hand, too little hand, too much leg, not enough leg, sit lighter, sit deeper, ect, ect. Just nothing was working how I needed it to to get the desired result. So many little pieces have to go in exactly the right places for it all to work. And Ive always sucked at puzzles. I know Martin was frustrated which makes me even more frustrated. He wouldn't crack on me if he didn't think I was capable. He's not that type. So I should be able to put together a decent canter to walk or heck even canter to trot or trot to walk transition but yet Im not. Tomorrow will be another day though to continue working. Nothing to do but try as hard as I can to improve. I can tell this will be one of those light bulb things. I wont get it and wont get it until suddenly I do. Like controling the shoulders and maintaining an put together horse. Not that I manage both 100% of the time but I at least know when I dont have it and roughly how to fix it.
Headed to bed as soon as possible nursing what appears to be a torn muscle. A marching band started up on the other side of the wall and Puccini about jumped out of his skin. I think the sudden lurch to the side tore an abdominal muscle. Thanks buddy. Martin started to get on me about sitting up straight and it was all I could do not to be like Im not entirely sure I can sit up straight right not! Just keep pushing through though. If I havent passed out, I can keep working and thats exactly what I intend to do.