I was having some doubts about my lessons with Warren after last time. I came home feeling really deflated that I could barely seem to ride around a 2 foot course and just feeling a bit low about it. I decided to have another and if I came back feeling crap again I would search around for someone else.
But today was fantastic. A lot of the stuff he was saying clicked today and all made sense with me. I also spoke to him about some seeming contradictions with previous instructors which cleared some things up and helped me peice it together in my head.
The result was a fabulous lesson. We were jumping some little courses with a pole infront of a spread and a triple. First and third parts really small, with a fairly decent and very wide oxer in the middle as well as poles in between the elements. The idea was we were trying to get him to push with his hindleg more as he does tend to go for speed over power a little. We were also using the poles to get him a bit deeper to a fence instead of standing off so much, and to make his shape over a jump more equal. He tends to land very close to a fence with his back legs.
I really felt we were improving even throughout the session which was excellent!
However sadly its the last one for a while as have a manic few weeks coming up. I'm packed with work at the moment as bringing on a little thoroughbred for a client so that means going up there almost daily to work with him, and next weekend we're at Bovington on Saturday and I have my riding and road safety exam on Sunday, then the Thursday after we're off to Wales for a SJ championship. 10 days after that (with Badminton in the middle!) I'm off on Holiday woop!
Hopefully will be able to do something in those 10 days though. Squirrel does not get a holiday when I'm away. He's off to the event yard where I used to work for a spot of bootcamp! I'll hopefully be able to have a lesson when I drop him off and pick him up. I love the way Gubby Leech (my old boss) teaches, it really clicks with me. However at over 30 miles away its a bit far to travel regularily for lessons, especially when Warren is only 10 minutes away in the box.
Anyway I'm feeling pretty pleased, he's been great this week on the flat too and I practised jumping some angles..I want to do well at this championships; although only unaffiliated and you only need a D/C to qualify, it would mean a lot to do well there as I went for years with my mares and never did.
So I decided to see just what I can get away with in the jump off. The answer is, just about anything. He will jump off an extremely acute angle, clears it by miles and will jump from a stride out. He's also naturally quite fast so I'm getting excited. Also impressed how angled he will jump from his blind side too! He's a wonder horse.
No pictures I'm afraid but nevermind. Mum was feeling lazy.
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