Lesson #131: Stop Thinking, Just Do

It's the last Sunday class before "the big day". G's in class today so that likely means we're doing some jumping. +ADW is riding Bonspiel and isn't too sore from his fall last weekend and things look good. I warm up with Ariel with the intention that we focus on riding deep in the corners and keep a straight line when we're tracking around. I also want to keep Ariel focused on what we're doing at the moment since she tends to get distracted easily--especially if there is another horse outside.

Ariel, when there is another horse that walks by outside.

The next step was to get into the canter and go large while focusing on getting a controlled pace for the duration of the canter exercise. Nothing nutty or crazy, just focus on getting control and keeping it. It definitely is a "conversation" that a rider has with their mount; I have to relay to Ariel what I want and confirm with her, if she's understanding me correctly. If not, then she'll (in this case) take over with the sentiment "um... kay. Don't worry, you can count on me to get this done." Since she's a dominant mare, she's quick to take that role of leader if nobody else is going to step up.

Our next exercise is getting us ready for a course. Sheri has told us time and again, don't over think it: a jump is just another stride. She's got 4 ground poles laid out around the arena in a small course; there are 2 potential broken lines we could take depending on what she asks of us. She has G and I take the poles at a canter while ADW went at a trot. So from what I deemed as in control at the flat canter exercise, this just makes life complicated! There was need for lots of half halts and slowing Ariel down just a bit--especially when she sped up on the approach to the gate but apparently her pace was pretty good and I was not in fact racing around. I felt like we were racing around but Sheri said that if there's one thing she hates, is people racing around the course and that Ariel and I didn't do that. I guess I'll need to get used to the pace that she goes at... That said though, the execution of the flat course was far from perfect and I need to continue working on keeping Ariel from falling in at corners, and riding straight instead of cutting corners. But, the angles in were pretty good.

There was one instance where I thought I might come tumbling off... Ariel took a pole and I seem to have lost my balance and lost the right rein and she was heading straight into the wall! I had to scrambling to grab those reins and (you guessed it!) sit up. That was definitely a close call. Ensuring that my hands are nice and closed on the reins is another thing to keep in mind. Until the next lesson!

Lesson #130: Deconstruction

My lesson on Thursday became a private since G wasn't able to make it. J was in the arena riding a new spicy little pony named Cafe and just schooling her and taking some light instruction from Sheri. Since I've literally started riding each stride and stopped "just sitting there", things have progressed significantly. I'm not too sure what it was that flipped in my brain but I've taken control of the warm ups and even ride the strides and the corners with complete and total intention. I've stopped letting Ariel take over and have asserted myself as leader, in our little 'herd'. And sure, it was tough at first, but I've gotten much less lip from her and we only have a momentary disagreement before she falls in line and we get moving.

During the warm-up, Ariel got into a great forward pace and we moved onwards to the canter. I have to remember to set Ariel up, deep in the corners so that she's not barreling around and falling in. It takes a lot but I have a few really awesome corners where everything is where it needs to be; I get confirmation of this when Sheri calls out the very excellent corner I just took!

As this was just going flat, I was able to concentrate on body position and half halting. I find that this is always a great time for me to sort stuff out before getting into jumping. Jumping complicates things because you've gone from being able to accomplish the flat properly (which is what I have been working on a lot, lately) to adding in that leap. Yes, it's supposed to be just like another stride but let's face it, all the thoughts that run through your head as you're approaching a jump is going a mile a minute and hesitation isn't a good one to have.

I focus on 2 specific jumps: a broken line of X's. Without explaining the intention, Sheri instructs me to take the first X and continue to go around the second one. Well something turned off in my brain and I wasn't being clear enough with Ariel and we end up accidentally making the broken line. Wow, I was so not prepared for that. I didn't fall off but you could tell it was a rushed decision from both Ariel and me. I wasn't clear enough with her and she just took over and figured that it was a broken line we were doing. Wrong. Sheri tells me that I need to be much more clear because while it wasn't dangerous or anything, it wasn't the intention. I try again and we manage the rather tight ride out and around the second jump. We end up playing a little "Sheri Says" and she dictates if I do the broken line or just focus on a single of the pair. The challenge for me is to correctly direct Ariel where we want to go, and not let her take over, due to my own unclear instructions.

Now, that sounds all dandy and those components were half bad but I need to continue working on gaining better control of pace during the ride into the jumps because Ariel speeds up towards the jumps. Lots of half-halts! In addition, I've been having a lot more trouble with my 2 point lately and I have no idea why. I am either launching myself before she takes off, or I end up on her neck or get left behind. It's a bit strange considering I wasn't having as many issues before. Some more things to focus and work on in the coming lessons.