So sorry for the lack of posting, I am a bad, bad blogger again. I even have stuff to talk about and even had some time to blog but haven't had the drive to write it down. I am still very much on the fence about showing on April 13th, I think the TWH could be ready but we have been having such cold weather that there isn't any riding going on. I was riding when it was 10, when it was getting to be 6 and 2 in the evenings, I just couldn't bring myself to ride. Top that off with the fact I was sick again, riding 5 days a week went away pretty quickly. After today it is supposed to stay in the 20-30's for the next week (at least) so I am going to ride dang it!
I have successfully put both TWH and Mia over jumps and all in all it went well. I rode the TWH first and he is such a gem. I went only up to a 2' vertical as I found I really need to work on my position, apparently the time off since Sept has really affected my ability to jump? I have taken a lot of video and I am throwing my upper body forward at the base of the jump, almost standing in the stirrups as his front legs are coming up off of the ground. WHY? Who knows! Does the fact that I know I am doing it fix my doing it? NOPE! OMG I am so angry with myself over it, I have jumped him twice and each time I am doing the same thing despite knowing I am doing it and actively trying not to do it. Grrrr. As a result I have a lesson with H on Saturday, I told her I need the lesson completely dedicated to my position. Hopefully she can fix me because obviously I am a dork who can't fix themselves. On the plus side, at least my lower leg is 100% solid and doesn't move, even when I jump without stirrups. Yay for the little wins at this point lol.
Mia is doing really well with jumping, I think she will move right along without too much problem. The first session of jumping was having her trot over the poles until she didn't care and then trotting over the poles to a little 12" crossrail. The first time over she launched herself over it but then she realized she could just trot over it and was content to do so. I rose the jump to an 18" crossrail and my bad rider came into play as a funny story. The first time I pointed her to the jump (4 trot poles to the jump), I was hanging back letting her figure it out and didn't really even have a hold of the reins. She trotted over the poles and as she stepped over the last one she dropped to a walk and then very calmly walked around the jump. Doh! I had to correct her as she can't think that stopping is acceptable but I didn't give a hard correction because I was laughing too much and it was actually my fault. It was just so dang funny as she went through, as if thinking "why step so high when I can walk around?".
She brought the jump down a couple of times as she figured out what to do but once she understood it I rose the jump to a 2' vertical. She did quite well and despite knocking the pole down a couple of times, she understood the session. When I jumped her the second time she did much, much better. I went straight to an 18" crossrail to a 2' vertical and she didn't knock a pole over a single time. Success! We also worked on the canter and the right canter is actually coming along. I have found the combination that makes her not drop her inside shoulder so badly and with her picking it up, the right canter isn't that bad. We were even able to make it all the way around the ring instead of staying on a 20m circle. Success again!
After the last ride she was pretty pooped even though we hadn't ridden all that long so I took the opportunity to ride her out again. I wanted to ride her away from the boys and out of the arena and see if she was going to try the buck/kick again. I didn't think I would but you never know until you try so try I did. We road down the road to the first intersection, it is .7 miles one way, and then came back. She was a little suspicious of the plastic mailboxes (but okay with the metal ones) but didn't spook or shy at anything else. Good girl! She gave me no problems whatsoever and we made it back in one piece. I need to get the nerve to bring her around the block and then start trailering her out so she realizes it isn't a big deal. Preferably I won't have her first outing being a xc schooling but with the weather the way it is I may not have a choice. Here is to keeping our fingers crossed!
Yay for good riding experiences at all considering the weather y'all have been having! Its understandable that your form over fences has gotten a bit off with barely riding. Its nice to have eyes on the ground because they can remind you right as u jump to not throw yourself up etc, because often your brain is thinking other things.
ReplyDelete