Because you can never jump enough
After a nice quiet week with the ponies at home, Henry and I headed out this morning for a lesson. I had tossed up if I wanted to jump or flat but considering we umped last weekend and we are jumping again next weekend, I opted to jump.
Henry was feeling electric when I hopped on so I put him right to work to keep his little dunnarts occupied (I've decided Henry doesn't have squirrels or hamsters, he has dunnarts!). He settled quickly and we started the lesson by trotting over poles, getting him to lengthen his stride and stretch through his body. We did it on both reins and once he was in self carriage Bec popped up a little cross rail and we trotted into it.
Again we were looking for self carriage and Henry got there pretty quick. We cantered it a few times, and then swapped reins. He was pretty much the same both ways, and we worked a bit on my position, making sure I was sitting up, not throwing my body or looking at what lead Henry had landed on.
When we got things right we moved onto a course. We started over our little cross, turned right and jumped an upright, then kept turning right to a related line. Our first go went pretty well, Henry had a nice rhythm and I rode well. We went around again and this time added an oxer. This time Henry's half halts weren't quite as sharp and I didn't let him flow away from the fences.
We came around to the oxer again and hung onto my neck strap and just let him jump. If I let him canter away at his pace, he didn't run, didn't get bucky and just did the thing. Funny that, things going well when you don't grab your horses face. We had a few goes of me hanging onto my neck strap over the oxer, then went back to our course. This time I let him flow and things went really well. He still got a bit fast in the related line but nothing too crazy.
We added in one final fence, then finished the lesson by going over our related line a few times, this time with me holding my neck strap and us halting in the other side if we needed to. It took a few repetitions but eventually we got it!
Henry was such a good boy. He tried hard. He had a few woohoo moments, but when I did my job we got ourselves sorted out and things went really well. Added bonus was I felt very confident and kiddo felt quite grown up!
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| We like to go jumping! |
Henry was feeling electric when I hopped on so I put him right to work to keep his little dunnarts occupied (I've decided Henry doesn't have squirrels or hamsters, he has dunnarts!). He settled quickly and we started the lesson by trotting over poles, getting him to lengthen his stride and stretch through his body. We did it on both reins and once he was in self carriage Bec popped up a little cross rail and we trotted into it.
Again we were looking for self carriage and Henry got there pretty quick. We cantered it a few times, and then swapped reins. He was pretty much the same both ways, and we worked a bit on my position, making sure I was sitting up, not throwing my body or looking at what lead Henry had landed on.
When we got things right we moved onto a course. We started over our little cross, turned right and jumped an upright, then kept turning right to a related line. Our first go went pretty well, Henry had a nice rhythm and I rode well. We went around again and this time added an oxer. This time Henry's half halts weren't quite as sharp and I didn't let him flow away from the fences.
We came around to the oxer again and hung onto my neck strap and just let him jump. If I let him canter away at his pace, he didn't run, didn't get bucky and just did the thing. Funny that, things going well when you don't grab your horses face. We had a few goes of me hanging onto my neck strap over the oxer, then went back to our course. This time I let him flow and things went really well. He still got a bit fast in the related line but nothing too crazy.
We added in one final fence, then finished the lesson by going over our related line a few times, this time with me holding my neck strap and us halting in the other side if we needed to. It took a few repetitions but eventually we got it!
Henry was such a good boy. He tried hard. He had a few woohoo moments, but when I did my job we got ourselves sorted out and things went really well. Added bonus was I felt very confident and kiddo felt quite grown up!
Aw he really is such a good boy!!
ReplyDeleteHe certainly tries!
DeleteWhat a good boy! Neckstraps come in handy sometimes, bahaha
ReplyDeleteI don't know what i would do without it!
Delete