New Helmet

My helmet has been due for replacement for, well, a few years.  Okay, maybe more than a few years.

Helmets are supposed to be replaced every five years, if there is no damage to them in the meantime.  I bought my last helmet before I bought Winston, so it was well over five years old.

But, if you come off your horse and your helmet gets banged, you are supposed to replace it immediately -- even if you can't see any damage.  The internal structure may be compromised, rendering the helmet less effective.  I came off of Winston a few times, and there is a big gash on the side of the helmet from one of those unplanned dismounts.  I sold Winston a few years ago.... but I kept riding in the same helmet.  I know that I'm way overdue for a new helmet.

Not that I haven't been looking.  Sort of.  The thing is, most helmets are not comfortable on my head.  This is true of bicycle helmets and motorcycle helmets too.  My head does not like helmets.  And, then, there is the whole style thing.  The helmets that were comfortable were ugly.  The cute ones weren't comfortable. And, the gorgeous ones were way out of my price range so I didn't even try them.

But I watch others at clinics and on YouTube videos and just drool.  I have particularly suffered from helmet envy with my trainer.  Sandy has a beautiful helmet.

After years of internal debate, I gave in and bought myself a drool-worthy helmet for my birthday.  It came last night.  I wore it all over the house.  Brett threatened to take a picture of me cooking dinner while wearing my new helmet.  Its super comfortable and is, I think, worthy of wearing when riding a princess mare.  I thought about getting the one with crystals, but I'm not a bling sort of girl.  I choose the classic model.

Samshield Shadowmatt 

Queen Lucina

Lucy is always royalty.  Most of the time she is Princess Lucy; high spirited, overly ambitious, demanding of attention, and prone to dramatic outbursts.  Sunday she was a queen.

Brett and I rode mid-morning when it was warm but not hot.  Lucy was in a mellow mood.  We rode up in the dressage court and she wasn't in the least bit worried about trolls.  We worked deep in the corners, even the troll corner.

She carried herself beautifully.  Her transitions were prompt and forward.  We didn't do any canter work.  We have more work to do in the Pessoa before we canter; although I could feel that Lucy would have been willing to go there today.

She still bucks a bit in canter with the Pessoa; but its more about irritation with the equipment (and working at dinner time) than about discomfort.  I have noticed that she immediately goes to a long, relaxed frame now, when I ride.  The Pessoa has been wonderful for conditioning her.  In the Pessoa, after our trot warm up, she is now working on trot- canter transitions, spending 30 seconds in each gait.

Last week, while we were working in the Pessoa after I got home from work, she was in a princess mood.  Kersey sat in the center with me for a few minutes while I lunged Lucy, and then Kersey wandered over to the stream to go for a swim.  Lucy watched her go, watched her swim, and watched her shake herself out.  She watched and bucked and threw a fit.  She wasn't scared, she was looking for an excuse to complain. I simply sent her forward.  It's better that Lucy pitches a fit about Kersey swimming while on the lunge, than while I am on her back.

Sunday there wasn't a hint of attitude anywhere.  After we rode, we let Pistol and Lucy graze in the upper pasture for a few hours.

It was a very good Lucy day.