Gulp...Here Goes Nothing

Miles is boarded at a barn with some of the nicest horse people around. No joke.

I was finishing our ride tonight (our mojo from Saturday carried over, for the most part-Good Miles!), and Amanda (go visit her blog and say hey!) walked in with her camera and offered to take some photos of us, since we have exactly Zero of me riding. What could I say? I've been dying to get some, if for no other reason than I need to critique my own equitation and have a gauge as to where we both are, position wise.

Of course, today we were again in the indoor ring, which has not the best lighting, Miles was dusty as all hell from the rush grooming job I gave him (to be fair, he was COVERED in mud from the rain we had last night), and we were both a wee sweaty and tired. The cherry on top? My gray Tractor Supply Company t-shirt, in size XXL, which doesn't billow about me and make me look like a Stay-Puff marshmallow AT ALL. Ah well. I'm still thrilled to have any pictures of us, and it was so, so sweet of her to offer.

Unfortunately, apparently most she took of us, particularly at the trot, were too blurry. These 2, however, I'm not totally embarrassed to post (the others are for my eyes only, because of me, not her picture taking:). Obviously I'm not the slim, legs-that-go-on-forever ideal type of rider. My butt, hips and thighs have always been, ahem, ample, no matter what I weigh. Still, I think we fit each other fairly well. Miles is happy in our work. And I hope this is just a starting point for both of us:)

I know, this doesn't show much. Still, I like his expression here. Toes in, Sarah!



Relaxing...again, not much to say. Still, here you have it...photographic proof I ride an OTTB!! If you had told me I'd be doing this 2 years ago I would have laughed in your face.

Now that I have the first scary pictures out of the way, I might even try to get either Amanda or someone else out at a planned date and time to take some photos for critique, or at least for fun. We will see...my bravery about this sort of thing waxes and wanes. Want a picture of my horse? SURE, anytime, anywhere! Pictures of me, either with my horse, husband, dogs, or hanging out with friends? You got it! Pictures of me riding?!?! Hmmmm....

Anyway, here we are! I hope it inspires any of you out there struggling with the same thing. It's actually quite liberating!

Also, Miles makes me look good (or passable, anyway). All you really need is a handsome steed:)