Very exciting

This week has been seriously exciting, to start with WA is recording 0 cases of the virus. I think we have had ONE case this week! This is awesome, and I have never bene happier to be so far away from the rest of the world. I think we had 6 cases Australia wide yesterday and that is so positive.

It's also been raining and things are getting lovely and green!

Secondly, I spent all my money on a fancy new saddle. It's the Bates Advanta and it is like heaven! Henry moves so much more freely in this saddle and it is effortless to ride in. Sadly it doesn't magic away all my other problems but thats ok! So happy birthday to me, thanks for the lovely present.

I squealed like a small child many many times

I had a jumping lesson last night to try the wonder saddle out. Bec was pretty happy with the saddle too, and the rain stayed away so it didn't get wet. If it had rained I would have used my old saddle because the new one is too precious!

Bec had a grid set up for us, and I gave her a run down of what has been going on recently. I told her that the contact is getting so much better and we have some pretty nice transitions now, but that I have been starting to get a bit ineffective with the right rein again and just kinda hanging off it and not actually asking for anything. I had picked that up in my ride on Tuesday and had started to address it but it became very apparent in my lesson.

Hunky horse and fancy saddle. 

We started out just trotting down the poles set out in the distances for the grid. Easy peasy so we cantered over them and Henry said it was really very hard. I had to really support him with my leg to keep him cantering, because sitting on his butt is hard work. He is still building up strength so that small, bouncy waiting canter is not his favourite. It took me a few goes to get it on the left rein, he kept doing the first three poles quietly and then speeding up over the last three poles. He got there though and we had a really good few runs through getting a good approach, and it really highlight to me again how effective I need to be with my outside aides.

The right side I fully expected to be easier and the first time down the poles was perfect, but the wheels fell off after that. Henry is usually stronger in the right side and will default to the right lead, but for whatever reason yesterday he was having a much harder time and kept changing to the left. So I had to really keep my leg on, and keep him flexed to the right and it was HARD! I wasn't asking and releasing enough and kept getting into tug of war about the right rein. My poor arm got very tired very quick and poor Henry had to suffer too. Once we got it though things came together nicely for us. Most importantly I needed to give him more space before the grid, I needed to keep him straight, keep my inside leg on, flexion to the right, but not holding.

We started building the grid up and Henry was jumping super. He was careful and I could feel him working it out, but he was confident in what he had to do. It was a really nice feeling. He consistently maintained the left lead. I just needed to make my turn before the grid a good turn with enough room for him to get straight before jumping. I could feel him making a nice shape over the fences and it allowed me to work on my position. I need to sit up more and close my leg but not shoot my body forward.

When we turned right after the grid Henry was being pretty obnoxious about the right rein and he was heavy and kept taking it over by sticking his head in the air. I had to work really hard on asking him to turn and follow his nose and then releasing the aide. I was a bit slow at getting the correct response, my arm was tired and I just couldn't be effective fast enough. It was pretty clear that even though we have been working really hard at getting him soft to the right rein we still have plenty more work to do!

Finally we went down the grid which in it's final form was a bounce, one stride to an upright, one stride to an oxer, turned left and changed rein over an upright and then come back over the upright and land depending on how the first change of rein went. The grid was great, then I made a good decision and put my leg on but sat quietly to the upright which I was super proud of, and henry landed on the right lead. We came back and landed right again given how much work we were having to do with the right rein. I really focussed on asking him to turn then realising using direct and indirect turn to shape the response I wanted and then giving as soon as he turned and softened.

It was HARD work, and again really highlighted on what I need to work on. The pesky right rein is hard, and we are making Henry really use himself which is why it feels like we have gone backwards a little bit. I just need to be firmer about insisting he turn right, and release when he does. I need to not get caught out when we are both pulling on the rein but not actually doing anything with it.

One really good thing about my new saddle is I can really feel when Henry pushed his ribcage against my leg, so I can be quick about pushing him back over and correcting the bulge that way.

It's getting there but still a work in progress!

My homework is to be quieter with my body coming into a fence but keep my leg on. I need to ask and release more effectively with my right rein and get the response I need. I also need to shorten my reins more use my legs better and just keep working on that right rein.

I will have another lesson next week and we will keep plodding forward! Jumping is such a good way of finding all the holes in the flatwork, plus it's way more fun haha!

I've also been buying photos :)