Lainey was waiting by the gate while Ginger was 160 acres away across the field. So Lainey it was. We ran back to the barn as fast as my short little legs could go. Can I just say here how pleased I am wth both of my horses' ground manners these days - there was a time when running with Lainey over a distance would have resulted in some very silly antics. Ask me how I know :) At any rate, we made it inside the barn just as the insanity started.I couldnt even get the door closed behind me - it was a wall of water! Lainey seemed happy to be inside, as was I. All this resulted in me being the only one to show for our group lesson - don't you know there were severe weather warnings? I must have missed the memo:)
Since the previous lesson had also cancelled, we just got on with it and started early. After a warmup, and a bit of work at the canter, we decided to just have fun. Trainer Girl set up some poles and a x rail.It worked, we had fun, so she set up a little mini course. Lainey was loving it, overjumping everything and super into it. She just locks on to them and gets all excited. So cute, but she was getting a little rude in her enthusiasm, trying to go much too fast and trying to cut corners to get at the next one. She got a bit of a free pass from me, because it is rare to see her that enthusiastic, she's usually cool as a cucumber. She needs to be reminded that she's only just barely started over fences. In typical Lainey fashion, she's pretty sure she knows what to do, and how it could be done better.
I've had only a few real jumping lessons in my life (all with Lainey), so my riding stunk even worse than normal, but it was all just about having fun and getting it done. We'll pick at my position later,
the idea tonight was to just give us both some more confidence. Next thing I knew, the 8 o'clock lesson had shown up and I'd been riding for twice my normal lesson time.
Wish I had video, my little mare was pretty darn proud of herself and I've crowned her Monday night champion of the 1' jumpers :) So, from now on, I'll definitely be doing more jumping lessons with her.
I'd forgotten how much fun she can be. We were all set to go to an event the spring before last, then I got this job offer and my world turned a little upside down. The horses arrived here later that spring and Lainey almost immediately hurt herself and had almost a year off. I moved the horses to the current barn last March and its just starting to feel like Lainey is getting back on track training wise.I am of course hopelessly out of riding shape, huffing and puffing my way around. I look forward to having this winter to spend more time in the saddle and practice all we've learned this summer.
The weather was not letting up, so Ginger got to stay in the 100 acre wood and didn't get ridden. I felt guilty, she was waiting at the gate looking like she was ready to go, but it was getting late and I
was worried about the road conditions on my drive home.
Looking a little chubby and unfit for the international show jumper she believes herself to be:
No comments
Post a Comment