Beautiful Outdoor Lesson

The bright day started with my Hunter/Jumper mug full of coffee. My red basket, that I inherited from a friend that moved to NY. Now covering the FM logo is HJ hunter Jumper-and the other side DR~ Dressage. Inside: Wa's Carrots, my sandwhich, water bottle, My Manual of horsemanship..Always handy to have along!

Oh! I am so very content with the day and that it finally came! Seems like forever ago that I made the dates with my Trainer to meet. And something funny about this is...Last year when I was trailering over to her for my jump lessons. Every lesson day> was Sunny<>

I started last year with her lesson mare, that was an former eventer. She took good care of me and I soon realized that..I could still jump..and was not worse for wear and knowing my mortality of the age I am.

The drive there...............................................

We got there 20 minutes early and I was glad for that, as I had time to go warm up and get her acquainted to her surroundings. She remembered them, so that was easy!

It is a very nice 3 inch sand base arena with Jumps set up perennially so. I'd say it is easy 200x 90

I didn't think to snap a shot of the whole of it but, next week, I will.
Wa was really good about everything today. She trotted right off my first cues and was forward.

I spoke with my trainer about her more this time...about her issues and that I am aware of how I can become part of them and what I have done to avoid that.

I asked for all she could throw at me even if she thought it was over my head..I'd just have to ask her, no harm in that for goodness sake, it's a lesson!

So we started out track right. She liked my leg and really liked my hands. I mentioned to tell her, to pay attention to my hands. My sister told me, someone said negative of my hands recently...never had I had that said of me! Even in pony club they wrote on my tests about this and said I was soft. So now I am paranoid...but realize , Because my elbows are so giving, my trainer said, the negative was an ill placed comment. She summed up after and said again, she saw me giving to her mouth as she relaxed downward.

I remembered how to slow the mare down with my posting closer to the pommel and half halting on the outside when coming to corners or directional changes. The trainer wanted her barrel to be more relaxed and for her to bend around my inside leg. Ah..she can react to my asking her for bend and move her barrel over..mistaking it for more speed. She is learning! We had a few reactions..and I sat back and asked for forward. It was not at all bad, as it did not continue and I did not pay any heed to it.

Since she is reactive to my aides, we decided to talk in Ounces of pressure with this mare. She is pissy if you yell with legs! So I would put 2 ounces of weight onto the inside stirrup- on the rising phase of post for 3-4 strides and also add 1 ounce of tap on the inside girth on the sit phase, toward my outside rein. She responded nicely and was foam- lipped the entire session. Nice relaxed jaw!

I also wanted to see her flex her poll...see a lash of her eye..so I slightly drew my inside hand , as in turning a key in a lock, toward her neck..wow that was fantastic! No bend..just a small flex! We practiced spiraling in on the opposite diagnal then changing for the spiral out. Wa really seemed to be thinking!

What a fun time...no jumps today but, I knew that going in. We need to establish our patterns for relaxation and such. Next time, I am sure we will have Cavalettis to look forard to. We got finished without a sweat and it was such a fantastic December Sunny Day and I already had her tacked up and the stable is only 4 miles away..trails are =on the way....so yeppers. to the Forests! There is a managed forest near us that is quiet and always non motorised. Many fold walk there and take dogs too. There are creeks and wonderful smooth roads to train on.

She was not in the least hot or worn out! So I let her go a bit in this shadow"one" hand canter.

I am having wine and Quiche tonight as I address you all...hope all is going good for you too!