Jesse's owner came to watch a lesson with Elizabeth. She brought him some cookies and carrots- how sweet. Ingrid thought it was a good idea that I had the muzzle on him, and wondered why she didn't think of that when her daughter rode him. She was pleased with how he looked and how he seemed very happy and relaxed.
During the lesson, Jesse was being somewhat of a turd, not wanting to accept contact, and just run with his head in the air (very uncool). We did some leg yields on a circle, going from 20m-10m and then leg yielding out. Elizabeth was also pleased with his canter, how he was getting stronger in his hind end, and rocking back more, and also holding a consistant rhythm and not speeding up on the long sides.
Next lesson we'll be practicing my Dressage tests for the upcoming schooling show, then we'll do jumping lessons to get him stronger and developing his rhythm and understanding balance.
I won't be updating much for the next couple weeks because I am studying for my HB testing for Pony Club which is on August 16th, so I'll be cramming until then.
Ciao!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
jump
Hello!
So three days ago we had our pony club lesson and did some mini courses. Jesse had a hard tome with the one stride, so I planned for my next jumping session to work on Gymnastics! woo!
Originally I had planned to jump tomorrow, but with me working pretty much from 11am-9pm, I thought it would be too much to squeeze in some jumps early in the morning, so instead I'll be doing some Dressage tomorrow morning (granted I can wake up early enough to feed).
So today I set up a 2-1-2 stride gymastic, but the last 2 stride didn't quite fit into my arena and after a few rounds of canter poles and a cross rail I felt too squished and moved the last fence closer and made an oxer.
Jesse was being very good right from the start, although was being a little too excited and was rushing through the ground poles. Eventually he settled in and found his rhythm and realized I was in no rush to get him to the other side.
I worked my way up to 1 X rail, and 2 poles, to 2 X rails and a pole and then 2 X rails and an X railed oxer. I then started making things verticals one by one, and Jesse acted like a super star.
By the end of the jumping session, we had 2 verticals (2'6") and a square oxer (also 2'6").
There's not much else to say about today except that he was a super pony!
Picture time! (this time they're not blurry!!)
So three days ago we had our pony club lesson and did some mini courses. Jesse had a hard tome with the one stride, so I planned for my next jumping session to work on Gymnastics! woo!
Originally I had planned to jump tomorrow, but with me working pretty much from 11am-9pm, I thought it would be too much to squeeze in some jumps early in the morning, so instead I'll be doing some Dressage tomorrow morning (granted I can wake up early enough to feed).
So today I set up a 2-1-2 stride gymastic, but the last 2 stride didn't quite fit into my arena and after a few rounds of canter poles and a cross rail I felt too squished and moved the last fence closer and made an oxer.
Jesse was being very good right from the start, although was being a little too excited and was rushing through the ground poles. Eventually he settled in and found his rhythm and realized I was in no rush to get him to the other side.
I worked my way up to 1 X rail, and 2 poles, to 2 X rails and a pole and then 2 X rails and an X railed oxer. I then started making things verticals one by one, and Jesse acted like a super star.
By the end of the jumping session, we had 2 verticals (2'6") and a square oxer (also 2'6").
There's not much else to say about today except that he was a super pony!
Picture time! (this time they're not blurry!!)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
New
Yesterday we had a Pony club lesson, and because it was bad weather (i.e. raining) we had a shorter lesson and went in when it started lightning. We got to do some jumping, and put together a little course just to get us all around and doing something. Jesse for the most part was good and listened, but he had a little bit of trouble doing some of the exercises, so I now know what to work on.
We had a one stride on the far side of the ring, a five stride or so on the other side of the ring, and a jump on the diagonal. Our course was to jump over the 5 stride, continue onto the 1 stride and then do the first of the 5 stride to the diagonal. Jesse was having an issue with the 1 stride, and ran out twice, although at two different times (1 was when we first went to the 1 stride when warming up and he got confused I think. 2 was when we changed directions and they were both verticals.) So, now I know to work on gymnastics with him!
The round after the second run out, he tried to run out and he realized there was no where to go but over and we sort of jumped like a giraffe. I thought he was going to land on the jump, because I didn't feel any propelling motion! After that jump, he decided to jump everything like a giraffe, which was funny and annoying at the same time.
As the lesson ended because of lightning, I was told to jump the 5 stride line, which was a vertical to a cross rail, Jesse was blowing me off and crashed through the vertical, and then jumped like a giraffe over the second one. We took it again, and the vertical was better, although not perfect, and the cross rail was almost perfect! I checked him inbetween the two fences, and once he was back listening to me, I let him do his thing, and he went over it like a super star! woo!
So, I may be jumping 1-2 times a week in preparation of the event and little schooling show so he can develop a rhythm and realize that jumping isn't too hard if he listens to me.
I did have my dad take some pictures, but he turned the dial at the top, and the settings were off, so they're hard to tell what's going on, but I can share some of the better ones.
We had a one stride on the far side of the ring, a five stride or so on the other side of the ring, and a jump on the diagonal. Our course was to jump over the 5 stride, continue onto the 1 stride and then do the first of the 5 stride to the diagonal. Jesse was having an issue with the 1 stride, and ran out twice, although at two different times (1 was when we first went to the 1 stride when warming up and he got confused I think. 2 was when we changed directions and they were both verticals.) So, now I know to work on gymnastics with him!
The round after the second run out, he tried to run out and he realized there was no where to go but over and we sort of jumped like a giraffe. I thought he was going to land on the jump, because I didn't feel any propelling motion! After that jump, he decided to jump everything like a giraffe, which was funny and annoying at the same time.
As the lesson ended because of lightning, I was told to jump the 5 stride line, which was a vertical to a cross rail, Jesse was blowing me off and crashed through the vertical, and then jumped like a giraffe over the second one. We took it again, and the vertical was better, although not perfect, and the cross rail was almost perfect! I checked him inbetween the two fences, and once he was back listening to me, I let him do his thing, and he went over it like a super star! woo!
So, I may be jumping 1-2 times a week in preparation of the event and little schooling show so he can develop a rhythm and realize that jumping isn't too hard if he listens to me.
I did have my dad take some pictures, but he turned the dial at the top, and the settings were off, so they're hard to tell what's going on, but I can share some of the better ones.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Update!
Wow, long space between the posts. Sorry! Everything has been crazy over here. Working and riding almost every day, went on Vacation this past week. But now I'm back for a little break (at least from work for 3 days :P ).
Jesse's been coming a long well. We've schooled some smaller cross country obstacles (no higher than 2'6") all of which were brush type fences. He was very excited about the whole thing and jumps them like he's been doing it all of his life. We've also schooled the larger (2'3" +/-) drop fence. He's very good about going up, although he is a little bit unsure about going down. The first attempt at the lager bank, he stopped/ ran out twice, and I brought him back and we jumped and landed about 20 feet away. We went back and jumped it 4 more times after that. I also had a lesson with Elizabeth last week, maybe, and she had me go down the bank, he ran out once, and then jumped it the second time. I came back around and popped down it again, and came up it. He was very good.
We also schooled a single fence with Elizabeth in one lesson, with placing poles on either side. He's a very honest boy, and hasn't refused or run out yet. He almost stopped one time, because he wasn't listening to me to stay straight, but then I let him know that it was okay to go, and he took the fence.
I'm going to do a schooling dressage show 8/13 , and a hunter jumper schooling show 8/20. Maybe throw in an XC schooling somewhere in there to try out water, and I'm hoping to do a BN event 9/6 or 7. I was hoping for the first event to be a schooling show so we can make more mistakes, but the closest one is about 2 hours away!
The farrier came out today to put some front shoes on Jesse, and trim his hind end. Very cool!
Jesse wasn't the best behaved horse, trying to rear a few times, and not wanting the farrier to hold his hind legs, but for the most part he was good.
He also got ridden, and there's a few pictures!
Here's some comformation pictures I took about two weeks ago.
So that's it for now. I'll be having another pony club lesson Tuesday, but I'm unsure what we'll be doing during the lesson.
I'll also be having a lesson with Elizabeth. Jesse's owner wanted to come watch, so she'll be there too.
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