Sunday, January 9, 2011

Me, Me, Me

With everything pretty much figured out on the equine crew that I have here, I think this year...Hopefully!...I get this year to focus on myself.

After having so many problems with 2nd barrel last year, I really am going back to the drawing board.

Me!

Not Moon.

That's not to say that Moon doesn't need a lot more slow, solid patterning. He does. As does everything else I have here that is ready to start working their way into competition.

But I am going to fix most of the problem with 2nd barrel by fixing myself first.

And that doesn't involve anything to do with horses.

Instead, I'll be hitting the slopes.

Back in my 20's I learned how to snow ski and actually spent several winters doing as much as I could.

It was my second year into skiing that I figured out a very strange correlation between changing direction on the ski slope and setting a horse up to turn a barrel.

LMAO...I know! WTH right?

For some reason, I have absolutely no problem with setting a horse up to take 1st barrel nor do I have a problem changing directions to the right on the ski slope. However, changing direction going left is eechy, jerky, a bit out of control and often results in a wreck. It's about the same when I set a horse up to take the 2nd barrel.

Now, what exactly the correlation is, I can't tell you. There is something I inherently do with my hip and my shoulder going that way that doesn't make turning to the left a smooth, fluid motion. LOL-Anyone remember Zoolander? Where Zoolander confesses after losing the 'walk off' that he can only turn one direction. Bwahahaha-That's me.

Anyway, it took quite a while for me to figure out how to smooth out my left hand turns on the ski slope and after I did, I didn't have problems turning the 2nd barrel when I was competing. For a long time, I was able to hold onto that certain 'feeling' that I figured out on the slope and when setting up for a turn into 2nd barrel, but I seem to have lost it.

So it's back to the slopes to see if I can pick it up again. Besides...I have really missed skiing over the years...and it's not a bad way to get myself into riding shape again either.

20 comments:

Laura said...

Interesting relation between the two things - hope the skiing helps you out! Good thing you live in CO - the skiing there is pretty sweet! We were in Vail and somewhere else (forget the name...) a few years ago to ski and it was pretty friggin' awesome...

Leah Fry said...

That is an interesting correlation. I used to ski as well, but one money sucking hobby is plenty for me these days. I'll be focusing my attention back on Pilates, which is so excellent for balance and flexibility, not to mention de-stressifying.

Fantastyk Voyager said...

I know what you mean about making those ski turns. When I turn left I do something kind of weird- like an extra hop or something.

Leah said...

That is interesting and makes sense.... Good luck and have fun!

Sherry Sikstrom said...

Works for you ,cool! My idea of downhill skiing ended quickly with about 1 million pratt fals on the first 2nd and 3rd attempt.Decided I can and do X country and I cannot downhill(or will not subject myself to that humiliation aggain)
Glad you are taking the time for you and to work on your stuff

ACountryCowgirl said...

I can totally see the coralation. It is a great way to work on it, and get great excerise not to menchin see some amazing scenery. Where are you going to hit the slopes?

Unknown said...

Very cool tool you've discovered. I used to love skiing too - at no other point in time in my life was I better balanced and agile. It's a great sport, just a tad too expensive...

Have fun on the slopes!

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Yea-skiing is expensive. Going to be a real pain to start back too. I don't have any of my gear left, so will be renting skis, boots and poles until I figure out what works again.

But, if it works to get me back on track, it's more like an investment in the long run. Moon can win money if I can just get him around the barrels smoothly.

ACC-I'm going to go to Powderhorn and see what that is like. If I go during the week, it's cheaper and a lot less busy than the weekends. I took the kids over to Glenwood Springs to Sunrise Resort last week and both of them really liked it too.

Danielle Michelle said...

You need to come out to Monarch! Colorado's best kept secret!

cdncowgirl said...

I can NOT ski. However I can understand the benefit.
Do you think there is a difference between your left & right sides? Like maybe your more flexible, or muscles are toned better on one side than the other?
I know that *I* have a hard time with right leads, its not my horses its me and on almost any horse I ride. Why? Because I the passenger in a car that got T-boned on the highway(and right at my door) MY whole right side is f'd up.

Vaquerogirl said...

Zoolander! Hahah!!! Beautiful!
Also try working on your muscle memory sitting in a chair. Works for me...

ps-word verification-surferig

Rising Rainbow said...

I don't and have never snow skied BUT I used to be a crack water skier and really loved the slalom course, I can tell you that helped me with my riding. I don't do barrels but there are things in trail that benefit from that "feel" too. It didn't take me long to figure out the connection and to utilize it. It is something in the hips too. I'll bet it is the same kind of motion. Pretty fr*cking cool, if you ask me. You go girl!

joycemocha said...

Oh yes, snow skiing does a lot for your riding. I absolutely notice a strong correlation in strengths and weaknesses in things like turns between riding and skiing.

Actually, it's a good thing that you have to start with new equipment. The newer shaped skis are MUCH easier to use (or so I've been told--I've skied nothing else!). You'll want to go shorter and fatter than you did before.

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

DM-Monarch? Is that the one by Gunnison? If so, I have been there. Memories are a little vague about what it was like, but that is true of all of them at this point.
The last time I was skiing was 2001. Yikes!

Cdn-I think I have a tendency to twist my body more to the left than I do to the right. So when I'm going around 1st barrel, I don't twist my body, I stay more in line with the horse. Going to the left, I have a tendency to twist my torso more. That drills my hip into my horse, kicking out his hindquarter and brings my shoulder in and down, allowing my horse to throw his shoulder to the outside of the turn.

When you do that on the ski slope...You crash! Because when your hip drops in and pushes over, it pushes your inside ski across the back of your outside ski. When your torso twists and your shoulder drops and comes back, there goes your balance.

You can bet I'll be crashing on the slope a few times before I figure out where my balance is again and get my body straightened out. My chiropractor is going to luuuvvvvv me! LOL. But once I get that centered feeling again, it seems to carry right over to the riding aspect.

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Yep joyce, short and fat is right up my alley. I'm thinking 130's. LOL

Kristen said...

sounds great! Good luck with it... kinda nice to have something to do sports wise through out the winter!

Anonymous said...

Interesting correlation! I will have to use this as a way to lure my husband into riding more! Then again, I'll need to try skiing when I feel better.

Let us know how it goes!

C-ingspots said...

Wow, that's great! I can see how the two would correlate, but I probably wouldn't have been able to figure it out. Good job! Have fun getting into shape and here's to holding onto that certain "something".

Cut-N-Jump said...

OMG! I thought I was the only one who learned to ski by using riding techniques. Inside hand (rein) back to the hip and outside leg pressure...

My first few trips and even now, I find myself coaching myself on the slopes all the way down- Inside rein, outside leg, inside rein, outside leg, inside rein, outside leg, inside rein, outside leg, inside rein, outside leg, inside rein, outside leg, inside rein, outside leg, inside rein, outside leg.

I bet other skiers think I am a real freak. Sunrise- Here I come!

~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ said...

Yay for skiing! I have found that even doing the skiing program on our Wii is helpful for balancing me out. Enjoy!