Jumping Things


On Saturday we went to a friend's for a jumping lesson.  It was SO nice to be in an arena again. 

Dressage pony


I *sees* a jump!


I jomps it!
Uno was SO good.  He warmed up well and we kept the jumps small for the most part while we got our sea legs back.  We had a bit of bucking if I was too abrupt in pushing him from waiting in the middle to cantering off.  





So many roll back turns.



We started cantering over a pole on the long side to make sure our eyes were working and to 'set' our canter.   Then we added jump 7 - a white rail with a Christmas tree under it.



This posed no problems.
Then we rolled back around to jump 5.  It was left as a cross rail, but the arena is not large and the turn was tight.  We then came around to catch jump 1 which was a cavaletti on the short side.  The jumps were easy, but the turns were very tight.  The goal was to keep a steady canter and maintain our forward stride through the turns.  

The only issue that came up was our lead changes.  We don't do them. And as prompt and easy as our transitions are on the flat, you would be surprised by how much it takes to drag Uno into a downward transition.  The issue is part submission to the aids (which has always been an issue) and part fitness.  This is a new ask for us - we spend all of last year jumping from whatever lead we happened to be on.

The upside is that his canter was practically a metronome and DEAD straight.  Whatever line I put im on he did not deviate. 



Even when the distance was iffy.
We did the one stride line a few times.  It took 3 trips through to figure out what canter was needed to make the turn and not chip it.  It lead to some interesting distances - see above.  The good news is that by this time all the bucking was gone, and he was dead straight through the jumps.

Our final course we only went through 2 times, but watch out world, when we are fit enough to take this ride to the bigger jumps Uno will be unstoppable.  We started over jump 7, came around to jump 5, all the way around to the cavaletti at 1, then down to 4a, around to 7 again, the one stride line at 3a and 3b, then finally the bending line of 6 to 5. 

So keen.

Looking through the bending line, totally locked on.

Look at this balanced canter, mid course!! 


At the end of our lesson, my friends 3-year-old had her first ride! Baby Fern inarguably has the best hair of any animal anywhere.

Supermodel hair - don't care.

No big deal. Smiles all around.

Such a good girl.

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