New footing, a little jumping and one CRANKY horse!

A quick update on my lesson today... (I am trying to pack for my week long conference/trade show that I leave for in the morning)

I arrived fro my lesson a little early so that I could have some time to check out the new footing and time to warm up my ankle.
For the first day of new footing in arena it was not too bad. Of course it is a bit deep and soft but oh so much better than what we had before.

I hoped on Fawkes and immediately could feel how different he was moving in the deep footing. His hind end literally felt like it was sinking. Very much like when we walk in soft sand at the beach.

Warmed up at the walk and trot. I tried to not think about my right hand and was just 'aware' of my whole right arm and was just letting it stay relaxed and keep my hands up and a bend in the elbow. This seemed to do the trick, Brenda said it was much, much better today. yay!

I asked him to move into a canter and it was like moving through sludge. Ugh... come on buddy move it! Got moving and stayed in a canter a couple trips around going to the right. Caught some single cavaletti's set on the 12" height at both short sides and had to keep my leg on him all the way to them. This new footing was making him work! Did those 4 or 5 times and I was huffing and puffing, time for a walk break.

Brenda asked if I was up to doing a little more today, heck yeah!! She kept everything super low, maybe the highest thing we jumped was 2'3". Picked up a trot and did a diagonal line of trot in canter out in 5. Had to push for the 5. The jumps were set low and had some bright flower boxes in front of them. Second time to it she asked me to canter it. I could not get him to pick up his canter!! And this was going to the right, his super easy way, what the heck. I stop, take a deep breath, reorganize and ask again. Again... nothing, so I squeeze harder and nothing, I use my spur and squeeze a little harder and he jumped up into a canter and gave me a pissed off buck to go with it.

He just did not want to work in that deep footing anymore, it was hard for him and he has been getting away with murder due to my recovery, but not today! I was feeling strong and good and the jumps were low. He could buck his way over the jumps for all I cared but he was going! and going we went. Down the diagonal in a canter in 4 stride around the corner and back the down the opposite diagonal over a green box.

I was grinning ear to ear!! My ankle felt good, even though I did feel when he gave that first good buck but that's to be expected, my form felt good and I was having fun even though I had Mr Pissy under me. Another walk break and we tried again... ugh again I had to get after him, this time no buck but it was so slow starting like climbing out of a hole, this time it was down an outside line a 2' natural vertical 5 strides to a natural gate. The vertical had some green ferns in front of it.

Squeeze, squeeze, eyes up count my strides to the first fence I feel him take off and then a split second later with his front end up he spooks at the ferns! What a DORK! and this time does do a buck over the fence... kudo's to me, I just lifted my hands and squeezed my legs and murmured your OK lets get to the next fence and we did. I landed and Brenda yelled for me to come back around to it. Back around, I sight the fence, get straight, close my legs to support him and this time he goes over a little on the high side but no buck, land 5 nice strides to the gate gets over that one and then decides he's having fun and tosses his head around.

Mission Accomplished. By that time I am done, sucking wind. Man I need to build up some cardio endurance... And enough for Fawkes as well. The new footing was a little deep and he had to work harder than normal, no reason to push either of us to far.

I had a great lesson and was so nice to play over some jumps and enjoy our selves.

I am off for the next week and will update once I get back from my conference... it's going to be a long week!