VCBH: Chock full of advice!

Another Magical Blog Hop by Viva Carlos!   What *would* I do without them?   :)   I suppose I could write about my riding life - which is fairly slim pickins these days, given I'm working 10 hour days - but there's not much to report.  My horse is amazing, outstanding in his field (wokka wokka), and charms me to death every time I see him.  :)

Meanwhile, Viva Carlos asks: What is the best advice you've ever gotten from a trainer or another rider?  What is the worst advice you've ever gotten from a trainer or another rider?

The answers are pretty easy, at least for the Best Advice column:

* Keep your chin and eyes up - MT and ORE.  I didn't realize this applies to dressage as well - but omg.  When I stopped looking at Apollo's head and neck while practicing dressage, things got WAY better, WAY faster.  Huh.  Talk about your simple mind-blowers!

* Don't give up/you give up too easily - MT, TW, everyone!  This is self-explanatory, really.  I have to accept that I'm not in a position to be a high-level rider right now.  Especially right specifically now. Big changes coming, and trying to work as much as I can to get caught up on and out ahead of my bills, which means I don't have a lot of time.  The best time for riding right now is early morning, and having to be at work at 8 makes that almost impossible for me.   Anyway, I'm not giving up.  I'm getting out as much as I can, riding on the weekends, etc., and I know this won't last forever.

* "Get your spurs."

Worst Advice?

Try Parelli.  ;)  That, or any jumping advice that doesn't start with "keep your leg on, and keep it securely under you - don't let your lower leg slip back at all.  Keep your weight over your hip and leg."  (Unless it's into water or down a bank, in which case the advice is sit WAY in the back seat.)