Bless her

Today we had a XC lesson with Jacel. And it wasn't great. I got in my head and was riding backwards and then jumping up her neck. I fell off over the tiny little roll top.. like the first jump I jumped. Doh! She added and I didn't and went up her neck. She slammed on the breaks and went sideways and spun me and then I swear I felt like I helicoptered two full circles around her head before I got slung off. I landed on my butt/feet/back so no big deal. Other than jamming my thumb on the way down. She stuck around, horrified! We got back on and came again and I waited and didn't creep up her neck and she jumped it fine. 

 

We jumped a few more and I got a little better about waiting but she was doing that "process" hesitation again, which.. bothers me. It doesn't feel smooth and it doesn't feel confident. I couldn't get out of my head and kept riding backwards. We moved over to the ditches and Jacel had me jump the lincoln log stack down hill and as soon as I pointed her at it, her right shoulder slung out and I couldn't get her lined back up, so we stopped. Once she throws those shoulders, I just... lose her! It's so easy to have her pull me off balance and tip me forward and then I've got no way to keep supporting and sending her. So we tried a second time and stopped again. So Jacel then had us jump it uphill and we managed that. Although it was a bit more hesitant than I would have liked. So we tried again downihll. I trotted her over it and she did it, but very hesitantly. So then we cantered it downhill and it got slightly better. But good grief... why is it so hard?  Then Jacel had us do the banana jump and then come back to the lincoln logs and it got a bit better again.

  

So then we moved on to the banks and that went fine. But then we headed to the triple log stack. The big one. And she stopped. I guess I sort of expected it and thus created it. We came back around and I sat up and waited and added leg (and crop) and got her over it. But it was still sticky. And then I was sad that I was having to use my crop to get her over anything and had a moment. Jacel told me to stop riding last weeks lesson and start riding the horse underneath me. Understand she is NOT Funny and ride her how she wants/needs to be ridden. Sigh.. she's right. But I still was in my head about it. But I started to ride better and it got better. We finished with some decent jumps. And looking back on the video, she isn't hesitating as much as it feels. And Jacel reminded me that she was a much harder ride than Funny. Funny would tolerate mediocre riders. Lyric does not. I have to be a good rider to ride Lyric and I am. I'm giving her the ride she needs, even if it's not the ride I like. So that helped. ;) I love that about Jacel. She's not going to blow smoke up your butt and will call you out when you're been a twit, but she only says it out of love and because she knows you can do better. 

 

Poor Lyric was trying. She really wants to be good. And she was. She just needs me. So, I have to hold her hand (even if it feels like too firm of a connection). Hold her hand and let her pull me out of the saddle over the jump. Keep the connection fairly firm and then as we get close, half halt, and then keep the connection and then slightly SLIGHTLY soften/release the connection to less firm as she pulls my hands forward as she jumps. Do not tip my shoulders before she pulls me up. And if I get left behind, GOOD.  Lyric is MUCH happier for me to do that than jump up her neck. Especially if I am being supportive and keeping my leg on at the base.  She's a bit like Dan in that I have to cheerlead her. Send her!  But ,,,,wait for the add. 

 

So we at least ended on a better note! When we finished I hosed her off and noticed that her boots had rubber her hind fetlocks raw! Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry girl!! I was trying to protect her from the trailers on her shoes, but there must have been grit in the boots because she had some serious rug burn on her fetlocks. I felt so bad!!!  No more boots and we will get Patrick to cut those trailers off!