Happiness is Riding

This is my first lesson in almost two weeks. I ride with my friend Neal. We work in the indoor as it is very cold and windy outside. Our trainer puts up trot poles and then a small set of jumps which he proceeds to elevate after we clear them a few times. It really is fun.

He remarks after that I rode the most consistent that he had ever seen. It seems the time off from lessons and all the practicing with ground poles that Jaliska and I did during her lime recovery really worked.

My trainer notes that I need to make sure that I go over the jump with J versus being left behind or ahead of her. I am working hard on keeping a firm seat, with leg on and heels down to frame and support her for the jump.

Since the clinic I went to at the Equine Affair in Springfield, MA last week, I have been now looking at the jump, this is the same advice Elmar gave me. As long as I have her “in front of me” so that she is using her back legs for impulsion then she should not stop (which can happen when you don’t do these things while looking at the jump). That being said, I don’t stare at the jump, just glance at it to gauge my timing and distance so that I take off from the right location or spot in front of the jump. I then look straight ahead. I need to remember to look through her ears.

She veers to the right a bit. I believe this is because she is cutting the corner in getting to the jump, while if I had her fill the corner, it would leave me with more time and allow for a straighter trajectory in getting to the jump. I will work on this next time.

All in all it was a good lesson and I feel happy about my progress.