Most riders at this level grew up in the saddle. I did not. Starting late means learning the basics in public, without the muscle memory that comes from a childhood on ponies.
So the plan is simple and slow. Lessons most days, small classes before big ones, and a coach who tells me the truth. Progress comes in inches, not leaps.
The setbacks are part of it too. A refused fence, a bad round, a week where nothing clicks. Those days teach more than the good ones, and they all go into the same story.
