Summer jumping

 It's been hot this summer, and the past week has been no exception, temps of 43C two days running and over 35C for a week. It's not ideal riding weather but we do what we can, when we can and the horses get down time on the hottest days. 

Sunday though, was perfect. cool, sunny,  a breeze blowing, great lesson weather. Hen and I went for s jumping lesson and we had a great one. We have been working on some position changes for me recently to get me stronger and more secure in the saddle and also to allow Henry to use himself a bit better.

Isn't he looking amazing!

We warmed up with a few pointers; steadier outside rein, get him stretching down and out and working over the back. The usual really, then we got jumping, first over a cross pole to practice my new position.

Christopher Bartle recently recently came to perth and my coach went and watched all his sessions. Now she is passing what she learnt onto me, the biggest change is jumping in the landing position. So you come around, get straight then assume the position you land from a jump in. It's a little defensive, but it's strong, secure and out of the horses way. It's not heavy, or behind, just secure and I feel a big difference in how Henry uses himself.

After we did the cross a few times, then a bounce. That made hen more accountable for his own feet, but me accountable for the line and pace, especially off the left rein, Henry fell out slightly through his right shoulder and changed our line. when we were straight we nailed it. Bulging meant we were not nailing it.

From there we progressed onto a course. lots of bending lines and changing directions, building on the same course, focussing on keeping Henry forward through the turns, and me in my landing position on the approach to jumps. things went really well, we even jumping a little bigger (80!). 

We broke down a bending line and really looked at where to turn and how to ride it. I walked the line, then rode it as poles on the ground. I have done many, many bending lines, I do find them hard but really breaking it down like this was so helpful and meant I turned where I needed to, kept my position and got it right fairly easily. 

I was a little wobbly coming to the first oxer, and changed my ride a little but improved on subsequent approaches. we finished on a course i was most proud of, including a 4 stride related line of an upright to and oxer. Hen got a little crooked to the first jump, but I sat up, kept my position, put my leg and and kept him straight to the oxer and we got it done. I was so so proud of myself for keeping my head when things weren't perfect. We finished there and it was amazing!