So then this happened, OMG BIG

I haven't had too much ability to ride this past week thanks to the cold, I had to cancel 2 lessons thanks to it not even being 10 degrees out.  Ick. This weekend, however, it went all the way up to 40 degress so some riding needed to be one  Yeah, I know, it isn't that warm to a lot but it is really warm to someone who has been living in single digits for a good long while.  This morning was busy with non-horse stuff but this afternoon K came over with some friends and rode App and TWH.  I made it into a mini lesson so her friends can see some of TWH's fancier movements and they seemed to think it was cool that he could change how he moved so much.  They asked if I would hop on the App to show some of the things Kara has said he can do, no one else can really make him do it and they wanted to see his training.

I hopped on Appy and had a good ride.   It is funny, back when I rode him exclusively there were so many days that we would argue over basic stuff and now on the few times i hop on, he collects right up and tries really hard to do all of the fancy stuff that he can do but doesn't have really have the muscle to do anymore.  They were very impressed with his shoulders in, haunches in, half pass, flying changes, halt/canter transitions and 5-10m canter pirouettes.  Appy certainly tried really hard to do some of the movements but I could tell that he doesn't have the muscle for a lot of it.  One day I will have my fit horse again, ONE DAY!!

K's friends then asked if I would ride Mia, they had heard about my riding (?? nothing that special!) and really wanted to see Mia.  They then asked if I would jump, I mean I haven't jumped since around November so why not haha!  Especiallly after they offered to be my jump crew!?!  Deal sealed.  They set up a simple grid exercise with 3 trot poles to a crossrail to a one stride oxer per my instructions and we warmed up and went throught it.  Mia was a bit excited through the poles the first few times and I had to slow her up a lot until she finally decided that she did not need to canter through the poles and we then progressed pretty quickly.  With our first jump a 2' vertical, we progressed quickly to a 3' ascending vertical for the second jump.  Mia knocked the jump down with her hind toes a couple of times before some leg was added and she started clearning the jump again.

Feeling brave, I had K bump the jump up to 3'3" in an effort to challenge Mia.  With no issues whatsoever, we kept going up.  3'3" was the highest we have ever jumped and we obliterated that today.  What did Mia and I end up doing?  Well, I kept telling myself it was only 3'3" until we were done and I hopped off.  What did Mia easily clear?  Without knocking poles over?  Without a single refusal, run out or hesitation?  3 foot.  9 inches.  O. M.  G.  I have never, ever jumped that high before.  It looked SO big but I refused to look at it and it SO didn't feel huge as Mia just soared over it.  I am so impressed with her!!!!!!  And I am so impressed with myself!!!!!  Not a single pants-peeing occured in our new record-breaking ride!!!

My hope is that within the next few days I will have some pics and/or video of the monumental ride.  K got pics and video but wasn't able to send them to me on the phone.  Hopefully she will be able to transfer them onto a disk and I can post some. I am so excited :)  Happy days!!!!