Best Pony

 I have no new media, but I wanted to do a quick write-up of my lesson on Sunday.

I have been pretty blunt here about my anxiety disorder.  Yesterday was the perfect glimmer that the combo of medication, therapy, and the correct trainer can bring back the joy of riding WITHOUT the anxiety that usually comes with jumping.

Uno warmed up brilliantly.  His transitions are a bit sloppy - Trainer has been having me focus on not letting him dump forward in the transitions but being overly soft when he stays up.  This means that he sometimes pops up off the bridle in upward transitions.  It only lasts 1 or 2 strides before he settles.  This has resulted in a MUCH more active hind end and engaged topline.  

We also practiced transitions within the gates, which have become hands-free and pretty on the aids.  As long as I remember to go to my seat and legs first, Uno is really trying hard and working AMAZINGLY well. 

Then we moved to jumping.  I am not going to say I rode perfectly.  I still need to focus on the canter after the fence and finding my 'cut-off point' in front of the jump where my hands have to be forwards and quiet. However, the course was made up of oxers, verticles, singles, bending lines, and straight lines. First, Trianer let me pick my way around jumping whatever I wanted while working on the canter and being quiet to the base. And there was no moments of anxiety.  No fear.  Even if the distance was a little off, we were fine.  I think I smiled the whole 30 minutes.  

Then she set up a course for us and we nailed it.  I got my good canter and we just pinged around happy as can be.  

Uno is SUCH a good pony.