First lesson of the year

The first jump lesson of the season always seems to be a challenging one, even though we haven't had that much of a break since the last one. It has been hot and windy though, so most of our rides have been in the bush where it is cooler and more relaxing. It's been fun, but we haven't done much of anything except explore and gallop around a bit. Not so good for collection and adjustability and suppleness. Those things actually need work. 

It was so windy for our lesson, it's been horrible all week. Wind and heat, yuck. It's like an oven here. Anyway, Henry was nice and fresh which meant I didn't have to wake him up for a change. I kept our warm up short and he was quite happy to get to work. He is the weirdest horse, he like attention and working, he will often follow me around the paddock and be upset if I rode Coolie and not him.

Bec had set up a basic grid, then two three stride related lines set up as a diamond. So many options and it highlighted all the areas that I need to work on! As always we started trotting over 4 poles, getting Henry to stretch and lift though his back, then we cantered the poles before we added a jump. The poles were easy off the right rein but harder off the left, though it only took one extra run through to get it right. When the jump went in it swapped and I struggled to get it right off the right rein but found it easier to the left, because we had addressed the problem to the left over the poles. 

I really started having a hard time when Bec put up the second jump to for a one stride combination with a bounce pole in the middle. I wasn't quite getting the corner right and I would let him stall the first stride out of the corner. Again, it was much easier to the right, the left was what gave us most trouble. I would feel like I kept my leg on, but we would meet the first placing pole a little long and Henry would rush through the grid. Then the next time I would over compensate and use too much leg. It took me a bit to get the balance right, and allow enough with my hands. If I though about my hands, I would forget about my legs too. Henry also needed to be much more supple and more into my outside rein off the left, 

Next Bec made the back jump an oxer and it went fine off the right rein until she put it up. It wasn't even that big, and I wasn't nervous but my body and my brain would not talk to each other and i was doing way too much, rather than just keeping everything the same. Again, my hands weren't allowing enough, I kept forgetting to give Henry a squeeze to jump and I was doing way too much extra stuff with my body. It was such a mess, and I know better! It was quite frustrating. 

I finally managed to sit quietly and mostly remember to kick to tell Henry to pick his feet up, but it was far from perfect. We started on the diamond pattern, coming down the grid in the middle, turning right over the first related line and then left to the second related line. It went very well the first time, so we swapped to turn left after the grid and I just could not. The canter was not quite right, he needed to be more forward but still upright and collected. I find it hard to adjust from the canter you need for a grid to a canter you need for a course. I know what it is supposed to be but making it happen is a whole other thing.

Since the grid was good, I just did the two related lines, first establishing a more forward canter which was not long and flat! I still didn't get the perfect canter but it was so much better, I remembered to kick to jump, kept my leg on and got a better flow. 

It was a really tough lesson, so much to work on! As always, I need to ride more forward, keep my leg on and be more balanced. I also need to do less, sit quieter and remind myself to be brave and know we can do it!