This is my first lesson in almost two weeks and I’m riding with my friend, Neal. We work in the indoor since it’s very cold and windy outside. Our trainer puts up trot poles and then a small set of jumps which he proceeds to elevate after we clear them a few times. It really is fun!

After, he remarks that I rode the most consistently that he had ever seen. It seems the time off from lessons, and all the practicing with ground poles that Jaliska and I did during her lime recovery, really worked for me.

My trainer notes that I need to make sure that I go over the jump with J instead of being left behind or getting ahead of her. I am working hard on keeping a firm seat, with leg on and heels down, to frame and support her for the jump.

The Equine Affaire is a great place to view clinics with top trainers

Since the clinic I watched at the Equine Affair in Springfield, MA last week, I have been looking at the jump, the same advice Elmar gave me. As long as I have her “in front of me” so that she is using her hind end for impulsion, then she should not stop (which can happen when you don’t do these things while looking at the jump). That being said, I don’t stare at the jump, just glance at it to gauge my timing and distance so that I take off from the right spot in front of the jump. I then look straight ahead. I need to remember to look through her ears.

She veers to the right a bit. I believe this is because she is cutting the corner heading to the jump, whereas if I made her fill the corner, it would leave me with more time to set up a straight line to the jump. I will work on this next time.

All in all it was a good lesson and I feel happy about my progress. Focusing on these small achievements is the key to my happiness and motivation to press on with my quest.