June 15, 2013 lesson #37

Hello!!!

I fully realize that this post is a little late, and yes I am writing this in French class :) 

So the last lesson we had our final jumping class until the show two weeks from now. I rode Caffi as usual and I feel we worked really well together despite having some problems our first lesson together. It was a fun lesson and we got some super good jumps in. Unfortunatly I am not riding in next weeks lesson, and probably won't post anything next week to make up for it because of finals.

We:

- warm up at walk (flexing, bending, square turns)

- warm up at trot (flexing, suppling, square turns, leg yielding)

- warm up jump down quarter line (both directions)

- 4 jump course

- jumping without stirrups

Jumping without stirrups was really fun, and my instructor bugged me for holding Caffi back but he was really excited about jumping, and the stirrups banging against his sides encouraged speed. I think I got the release down, and my legs eventually stayed in place but it was a fun class overall. Caffi is pretty speedy over a course especially when he is hot. I don't mind a fast horse but I think he would be great for jumpers :)

After our lesson I volunteered for a birthday party at the barn, and I got to side walk for a little four year old boy riding Gemini, a dark liver bay mare. He was smiling a lot and it was so cute. When we trotted we had to hold onto him pretty tight so he wouldn't bounce off! After we asked him if he was having fun and he replied "I don't know!" it was so so cute. That is why I love my job volunteering there!

Anyways thanks for reading, and I will try to post again later next week if I have time. Otherwise I might 

post this week as well, who knows?

June 8, 2013 lesson #36

Hello!

This week was a weird week at riding. When we arrived and headed down to the barn all of the horses were switched around including my newly acquired Spell! I was extremely sad/unhappy to be riding a different horse, although I did warm up to him quickly.

His name is Caffi and he is a chestnut gelding :) he is actually silly looking and is like riding 10 different horses all at once! He was just started in jumping lessons just lately.

This week:
-warm up (flexing, square turns, forward walk)
-warm up at trot (square turns, leg yields)
-sitting trot
-no stirrup work
-canter work
-2 cross poles (one handed jump, no hands!!!)

Caffi is actually a fantastic jumper, and he gets a little bit excited :) the thing is one of his legs is shorter than the rest of them so he looks really goofy when he canters and trots. He also is very lazy until he sees a jump so lucky me!

I actually like him but I wish I was riding spell! For the show I put down:

1.Spell
2.Caffi
3. Bliss

June 1, 2013 Lesson #35

Hello everyone :)

This lesson was super fun and even more challenging. I was so happy to be jumping again! I also got to ride a different horse. Her name is Spell (Spellbound) and she is a tall, flea bitten grey mare who loves to jump! We even got to ride in the outdoor arena which was a great change!

Our lessons was:

• Warm up - flexing, forward walk, square turns
• Warm up at trot - flexing, square turns, leg yields and ground poles
• Practice cross rail to jump over
• 4 jump course then a 3 jump course

Spell used to do Hunter jumpers when she was younger, and before she was donated to our riding program. She has a love for jumping, and she has a lot of speed that you have to control otherwise she gets a little bit nutty. We got to pick our own jumping course, and riding spell over both courses was so much fun. She jumps so smoothly and has a great canter. She also has auto flying lead changes so I don't have to worry about the leads.

She is totally different from Elvis and that is why I love her! I asked for her to be put on my year end show list as well, because I thought we did really well together <3 In case you were wondering she has melanomas on her neck, and that blocks part of her breathing but it doesn't hurt her and it doesn't stop her from loving to jump!

Here she is:

www.facebook.com

Thanks for reading! Have a good weekend :)