Girl has GOT IT!

Lesson day! I rode Funny first and then swapped out ponies and took Lyric for XC. We rode alone which was nice because Jacel wanted to really be able to work through some things. It worked out well because Laura couldn't join us anyways. So, since she wasn't with us, I asked to borrow her bit again to see if Jacel liked it. 

 

I got on a hair early so we were able to go do some hills before hand. She felt a hair tight again starting out, despite the back on track on during the trailer ride. We headed to the XC field and hung out for a minute while Jacel was finishing up with Courtney. After they were done, they both headed back because Jacel was riding one of Courtneys horses and Courtney couldn't pony one. So Lyric and I did more hills but she was pissed! One of Courtneys horses was a tiny (like 14 hand) stallion who was adorable and thought Lyric was hot stuff. Apparently she thought he was pretty cute too. So she was a bit anxious and worked up. But we survived. We trotted a little and then I tried to canter and she was almost bolting. I didn't have a half halt and barely any brakes. I texted Jacel to bring my bridle but she walked out into the field right after I hit send. Oh well. I told her that it was fine but I wasn't sure I liked this bit. She felt much more braced and not as soft in the bridle and I felt like I had no brakes! I was afraid that I was going to get back in the habit of hanging on her face, after I had just gotten brave enough to let go and stop over balancing. Although she didn't feel as flingy with her shoulders as she had last time. So we opted to carry on and see what happened. 

 

We warmed up over the tiny log and then the small cabin. And Jacel actually really liked that bit! She said that watching her go... she had a much better shape over the fences.  She noticed that in the elevator, she was curling a bit to get away from the pressure, which encouraged her to get behind my leg and drop her shoulders down. Ahhhhh.... Kelly Eaton had noticed that Lyric drops her shoulders too. (Side note, so did Dan, hmmmmm). But this bit didn't really allow her to do that... or didn't encourage her to do that. So she was more upright in her chest and shoulders. Interesting... and once she pointed it out, I could feel it. So we continued on. We then jumped the medium cabin to the BN rolltop/bench, then around to the smaller triple log stack and around to the brush. We jumped the cabin nicely and then as she came downhill to the rolltop/bench I got a little too complacent and tipped foreward a hair and she lost her balance and backed off just enough that it slung me ahead of the motion and she ran out. Totally my fault. We regrouped and came again and I balanced her and stayed upright and she jumped it fine. Then she jumped the others nicely too! And she jumped everything out of stride! No peeking, no hesitating, no heaving!! I made the comment to Jacel that I felt like my hands were staying lower too. She commented that it was because I wasn't feeling the need to lift their shoulders up. Oh..... OOOOHHHHHHH.... Holy cow, that lifted such a big weight off of me. For years I have been told to lower my hands... back to the days of Fleck. And yes, I know a lot of it is a bad habit, but quite frankly, maybe it's always been a slightly subconscious effort to help lift my horses front end. Sigh... Anyways... we carried on and did the hanging log and the bigger hanging log in the shadows. And that one, I even jumped up her neck a whole stride early and she still jumped. And she still jumped out of stride!!! Yeah girl! So then we went towards the banks and Jacel told me we were going to push the envelope a little bit. Just a little bit. :) 

 

We jumped the giant triple log stack uphill (we've jumped it before) and then the hogsback and then down the bank to the log cabin looking thing. I'm pretty sure we've not ever jumped that one. She was beautiful over the triple log. Like... best jump ever! Right out of stride, nice bascule, super bold and brave!! YAY!!!! Then the others were great although we were a bit quick and unbalanced to the log cabin looking thing and I wasn't as balanced nor did I give her the best line, so she chipped a little. But even with her adding the little extra stride, she still jumped it more smoothly and flowing than she had been a few rides back. YAY!

 

So then we finished up with the lincoln log thing (which doesn't scare me at all because it's not a table but I don't think she's jumped it yet) to the middle roll top and then to the slightly bigger roll top. She jumped the first two beautifully!!! And then I sort of chickened out and ran her at the slightly bigger roll top. She jumped it fine but we reverted a little bit back to our adding a stride. It's still smoother than it had been but... not what we really wanted. We tried a few more times and we eventually got it out of stride! Still not super beautiful and smooth, but she was also getting tired. And it is still LOADS better than it's been. 

 

YAY!!! So I will order the bit when I get home. :) But I'm so proud of her. And me too. We're finally getting it together! I don't think it's all the bit. She was jumping bold the last two rides or so. I think it's just slowly taken us this long to get all the pieces lined up. I think we slowly and surely added the building blocks and finally, the pieces all came together and we're in tune and it's now SUPER FUN! She's now trusting me, even when I make mistakes. And I'm now trusting her. And she gets the concept and I'm not holding her back inadvertently. And she doesn't need me to hold her hand quite as much! So yay!!! She's really going to be a fun mare! Heck, she's fun now, but...she's really going to be extra fun and nice!

We hacked to the lake to get a little bit to drink and cool off and then headed home! Good pony!!

 

 




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