Lessons learned

Today wasn't the best lesson. But, it was helpful. And we finished well. It just... wasn't what I was hoping for. We had a lesson with Laura and Smarty with Kelly Eaton. We jumped. We warmed up and Kelly reminded me to not stand on my toes. Ugh... My heels are so bendy that I can have them almost bent to where my toes are touching my shins but... I still stand on my toes. Which tips me on my forehand. So I tried to work on that. We warmed up fine and then we started with a grid. It was a bounce pole to a crossrail and then a small vertical. Lyric was fine through it but I had to think about being left behind. I just get too ahead of the motion. We did it a few times and Kelly had me focus on staying behind the motion but also to let go of her face. Ride the shoulders and keep her straight but let go of her face. She didn't have to be round. In fact, she needed to look at the jump. I was able to do that pretty well but the not standing in my toes and staying behind the motion was harder. 

 

 So then we added an oxer and then a tight turn to a vertical. Lyric and I had a run out at the first vertical because she just came to it all funky and I sort of panicked and gave up. So we tried again and she jumped it but we came to it twice with a funky striding. Kelly had us skip that one and do two other verticals. And.. they just weren't great. I told Kelly that as we were coming up to it, I could tell it was going to be an awful distance but I was afraid to make a choice. I was afraid to gun her and chase her, but also hated the add. So we talked about how I had to let her make choices. Because I couldn't always make them for her. So we ran through another time or two and I closed my leg but didn't chase her and it ... wasn't much better. So then Kelly said that she just looked lazy and was puffing a little. So we let her catch her breath and then before I went, she said that she was behind my leg and needed to wake up. So we did some shock and awe! And it worked! She was much more forward thinking after that and suddenly, the distances were there. Or, she took the longer spot instead of the chip and heave.  We had two really nice fences so we left it at that. 

 

So... it was nice to remember that I needed to make sure she was in front of my leg and remember that tool. And I needed to be reminded to stay in the back seat and keep my weight in my heels. (Although I do wonder if I was only jumping ahead because she was behind my leg?). But, it was disappointing because I felt like we didn't do much or accomplish much good jumping. Sigh... and.. we're showing next weekend. So, not really the confidence inspiring ride I wanted. Oh well. Such is life. All of my life... 

 

After our lesson I hacked Laura back to the barn. Then, I just... wasn't ready to be done so I hacked back out to the gallop track and Lyric and I trotted and cantered some. That helped me feel better. She didn't gallop but she did open up her canter and move out some. We also jumped the log by the lake (the teeny log) and then 3 logs on the XC field. Meh... I still wasn't really satisfied, but... the canter helped.

 

She was a good girl though. And Kelly said she looked good and sound. So.. we'll see. I guess we'll jump XC on Tuesday and maybe sneak in a few stadium fences too.