Camp Nowhere

I'm at Camp, in the middle of nowhere.

Right before I got here, I got a little scared.  I wished Equs Anonymous was here with me.

If we were together, we would watch each other's back, cheer each other on. 

Camp begins at 7:30am.  Those of us who do not have our own horses go to the field to catch the horses we've been assigned.  All through the day, there are individual, group lessons, and lectures.  I am also responsible for the care of the horse assigned to me.  So at some point, I shovel poop.

During Camp Orientation, the World Renown Teacher who works with Olympians asked us to comment on our riding.  I told the teacher- Please assign me a small, calm horse.

Chico, my small, calm horse.  Thank you, God!

Today, my body is in shock.  Everything I have learnt about riding has to be erased from muscle memory.  The teacher has a completely different approach.  She teaches biomechanics, using physics and biology, to break the technique of riding down.  She terms it, Riding With Your Mind.

My body is in so much kinesthetic shock, that by lunch time I feel ill.  By dinner, I have a fever and a cold.  

Twice in my life, I have felt this way before; when I first began studying modern dance in the United States, and then later in New York City, studying Nikolais technique.  It's kind of like learning a new spoken language; your tongue and brain get all twisted, and you think, my God, I can't speak!

The Teacher's assistants hover around, and when she is too busy, they put their hands on me to move my limbs, my pubic bone to the correct place.  I learn new concepts- bearing down, light feet, thighs at 45 degree angles.

Bear down, Tammy, bear down.  Rise to the top of the arc, and really land.  Bear down, feet light.  Bear down.

My pelvis feels heavy, and tank-like.  My core muscles are contracted and pushing down.  There is a feeling of harnessing one'e energy and breath into a ball-like shape.  There is a balance between keeping this shape pliable and yet firm, I still have not figured out.

Bear down, Tammy, bear down- she calls out each time we pass her.

Then my body remembers.  The last time I bore down?  I birthed a 3.75kg baby.