Next Level...I Hope??

Had lesson today with another girl I haven't ridden with before.  Rode the Mr. Wild through a variation on the same gymnastic we did last week--pole, bounce, vertical, bounce to about a 20-24" vertical in the middle and about two strides to a smaller crossrail at the end, followed by a diagonal one-jump line.  Overall it went well.  We had our moments of everything-going-right and many more moments of everything-going-not-quite-right!  Haha!  Nevertheless Wild is pretty good about telling me when I'm riding really badly, and there were only a few times today where he "hinted" that I might be getting too close to his limits (fortunately his hints consist only of hyper squirrelly-ness, nothing dangerous!) Coach was hinting that we would do "fun" things like riding the gymnastic without reins and/or stirrups, the ideas of which, to be honest, scared me to death!  I was almost glad we didn't ride so well so I didn't have to do that--especially the no-stirrups stuff.  I think I should at least be able to canter stirrup-less before I go jumping without the things!

Yes I have ridden for 7 years and never had a canter session without stirrups.  Don't ask.  I think everybody's assumed someone else already taught me that stuff.  Well...that is my big secret...ha.

I really feel like I have gone downhill in my riding skills but I think it must just be that I've hit the "next level" and therefore have more to think about.  When I look back over the last almost-year of riding (it's been nearly a year with Coach! Can't believe it!), I know I've improved massively.  Now I'm just struggling because I can really only focus on one thing at a time.  If I focus on squeezing my ankles to ask for the jump, I round my back.  If I focus on arching my back, I don't release in time.  If I focus on releasing, I misjudge my distances or round my back or forget to squeeze!  Or all of the above!  Ha.  There's just much more to focus on these days.  So I dearly hope that means I'm at least playing around with a higher level than I've been at.  If not I should have to be sad.  Haha.

Also gave Lass her little workout and she was very nice, sound and forward.  Coach says I can canter her on Wednesday if I can make it out. :)  Definitely planning on it.  Might get some Rhapsody time in while I'm at it, too! 

Two Feet!!

At long last! Still need to strengthen my position a lot.  But the point is we jumped two feet! 

Overthinking

Had lesson on Wednesday this week because it was so terribly cold and windy Monday and Tuesday (leftovers from Hurricane Sandy I believe), and we have only the outdoor arenas, so we cancelled Monday lesson. 

So on Wednesday I went over and rode Mr. Wild again.  We had some great flatwork at first at walk and trot; I pretty much know how to get him on the bit now and after I get him on the bit I can let the rein out gently and he will stretch down nicely.  He even kept himself stretched down a bit from time to time, which is huge for him!  He is a master of the ostrich neck.  Ha.  But there was very nearly no ostrich on Wednesday, even though we were trotting poles and doing circles.  Naturally I was very happy about that! 

Then we went on to do a very simple, very small figure-8 course.  And there is where I lost it.  I do not know what happened to my ability to jump.  It's just gone!  It's immensely frustrating!  I guess I wasn't doing as badly as I used to, because Wild wasn't getting squirrelly and wasn't diving out on jumps, but it felt dreadful nonetheless.  Maybe it feels worse because now I know how it's supposed to feel.  I was behind him, ahead of him, holding him back, releasing too soon, doing everything but riding with him doing what I was supposed to do!  Sheesh poor horse.  He was very patient with me, thank goodness.  And we did have about three good jumps out of the whole time.  Two of them were the last line we did, which was a good note to end on. 

I think I'm overthinking the whole jumping thing.  I'm picking it to pieces and then I have to think about each piece as I'm riding.  Just doesn't work.  I know how to do it, I know how to do it well.  I just have to quit thinking and ride!  Ha.  :)

On a better note, I rode the Bay Boy a little bit and he was good!  No bucking and a very nice, free canter.  Yay!  So apparently I have not lost all my riding ability; that gives me hope that jumping shall return to me when I start just riding.  ;)  And I'm supposed to start riding Paradox and Rhapsody again.  :)  Maybe I will get some pictures.  I keep trying but it keeps not working...haha...

Fall Break = Barn Time :)

My lovely bosses told me I didn't need to come in to work on Thursday afternoon or Friday, so of course I went over to the barn again.  ;)  Rode Wild on Thursday and had a lovely walk-trot-canter session on the flat, nothing special as the world was totally soggy from rain in the morning.  But he was being super nice with the bit, not grabbing it out of my hands or jerking, and coming on the bit and then stretching down nicely.  Don't know whether my riding is really that much better (lol), whether he was just calmer because we had no jumps up, or whether he really likes that bit.  But it was nice anyway.  After 15-20 minutes or so I decided it was a perfect day for a trail ride and we went out all the way almost to the river and back on a loose rein, again very relaxed, enjoying the gorgeous fall day and the colors and the warm sun and well it was just one of those perfect rides.  :) 

Friday I intended to see if I could catch Rhapsody but no such luck.  Coach had tried to catch her on Wednesday and...well let's just say it isn't just me who has difficulties with her.  Haha.  So she was skittish and barely touchable on Friday, let alone catchable.  After a little time persuading her I wasn't going to eat her alive, I went and got Lass for her exercise ride.  She was nearly perfectly sound on the footing, didn't want to trot on the grass actually, so I was happy. 

Tired after all that riding.  ;)  And now break is nearly over, sadness.  I could stand three-day school weeks every week! 

Back at Jumping

Fun times today!  I feared it was going to rain yet again but fortunately it didn't and we had some nice temperatures for riding (in the 50s/low 60s, I think we're all going to die of hypothermia) and not-too-slippery grass.  Went and rode with one of my younger friends, C, who's getting back into riding at least for the short-term.  She was working on canter on the rail and I got to ride Mr. Wild over some direct and bending-line courses. 

Wild and I have had our difficulties in the past; I like him to no end but was always holding him back too much and he would thereupon toss his head and get squirrely, refuse jumps, dive in, and generally throw a fit.  At first today we worked in the neck stretcher and he was very calm, sensible, and even a little slow; the Coach had to tell me to "get him to go a bit faster" over jumps.  After a bit Coach took off the neck stretcher and raised our verticals on the bending line to a quite respectable 18" (I have brushed 18" before but this was most definitely there, maybe a little higher), and we went round the course again.  Wild tried getting head-tossy but I decided to give him the reins and pretend we were riding a jumper course, and we promptly ripped through the first line like nobody's business.  Then slowed down a wee bit and finished up on the bending line with a great over-jump that surprised me just a bit, but I recovered well so they say and we finished up nicely. 

The Coach is happy.  So am I.  :)  And I'm hoping to go to a clinic with a local hunter-jumper judge in a couple weeks.  With Wild.  Should be interesting as he's not exactly your ideal hunter horse.  But we shall learn a lot I hope.  :)