Sunset ride

I've had a gorgeous few days off from social media and I have bloody loved it. I have been spending far too much time on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and twitter for the couple of months that I felt like I was getting some form of brain fog/burnout last weekend. It took me an entire day to just answer questions for an exciting 'thing' coming out in early September and after that I couldn't even think of anything to write. I tried opening blogger but I just stared at my laptop, I have 5 different posts in my drafts folder and an entire page worth of notes in my notebook full of ideas and plans, but I couldn't actually write a simple tweet or share a photo on Instagram - I was experiencing my first bout of social media burnout. Something that I LOVE had become totally emotionally exhausting so I took a few days to just ride and enjoy my horses, have family days out and lunch with friends and help my mum with going through my grandpa's war time medals. 

I know this isn't the best picture but what I love about this one is that Vallu's neck is soft and round and his mouth isn't open, my reins are short and my lower leg looks normal!

But now I feel like myself again and in just these few days I have really upped my training with both boys and I can't actually remember the last time I have managed to make myself work so hard without having trainers there to help me. So worth having a few days away from the social media world to help ground you back to normal life ✌🏻 I've wanted to work on not only my seat but also my hands, which is why in these photos I am riding without gloves. I've always ridden with gloves, so riding without them hurts like hell if I don't move my hands in total sync with the horse. Nothing like a bit of pain to teach yourself to actually move with the horse, not against the horse. I remember this being taught to me when I was a teen and just started riding Basse a few days a week and it's something I do every now and then to remind myself that the horse won't move properly if you don't move with them.

I've also done a lot of sitting trot without stirrups to get my seat better - jesus my legs are hurting after 3 days of this. I can't think of anything that is better at teaching yourself a more effective seat that having to do sitting trot without stirrups on a horse that has a big trot and spooks easily! Yesterday I managed to ride through a medium (British dressage) test totally without stirrups which I am SO proud of. Also big points to Basse and Vallu especially for putting up with me as I try to improve myself as a rider!

(And here are 3 different styles of how NOT to do flying changes!😂)

Anyone else experienced a social media burnout before?