Lesson #6 October 13 2012

Hi everybody!

What did we do?

-Warm up (forward walk and flexion)
- Rising trot
-Sitting trot with and without stirrups
-Turn on the forehand
-Canter work*

*Rizzo was actually quite well behaved this week, she was really forward at the walk, and trot. We had some difficulty at the canter (everybody has those problems with her). We were changing lead across the diagonal through simple lead changes (Canter trot other lead). First try Rizzo was good at the canter, and she was trying hard but she will not keep cantering no matter what! As soon as we reached a corner she would slow to the trot. But my talented little mare did a flying lead change once! So it was so cute, and sweet of her. She hasn't been taught the turn on the forehand really so we had problems with that until she gave me a quarter turn on the the forehand, she got loads of pats for that one.

Thanks for reading!

Lesson #5 October 06 2012

Catching up on the blogs!!!

Here is what we did:

-Warm up
-Forward walk
-Flexion
-Turn on the forehand
-Rising trot
-2 point practice
-Sitting trot without stirrups
-Jumping warm up
-Jumping course (shown below)

 I rode Rizzo again, the first jump we went over (the practice one) was a fail. She dropped her hind feet and knocked the whole jump over, but we found our groove going into the course, and we went through it easy. My 2 point needs work however! Love you Rizzo!

Lesson #4 September 29 2012

I guess I have fallen behind in posts by a week! Oops I will catch up today, while I have the time.

What did we do?

-Warm up

-Rising trot

-Sitting trot

-Beginning leg yields at walk and trot

-Turn on the haunches

-Canter 20m circle

-Jumps!!! *

*The jumps were a gymnastic/ bounce sort of thing. They were tons of fun and a great start to jumping this year.

I was so excited to be put on Rizzo this lesson, and I hope to ride her again. She is a chestnut mare with a blaze, and I have been told she is part paint horse (but doesn't have the coloring). She has been known to give you a work out as she is not forward, she loves to push your patience. Most of the time you need to us the crop behind your leg to get her to go in a forward manner. I was determined to just use leg, and the crop on the shoulder. That's what happened. She was super forward with just that. Lets hope I can work on it next week as well. She is quite talented once you get her going and she will surge over the jumps without touching them if she is asked right. I love her she is my next favorite horse after Bliss!