Lucas

[Erin ♥]

That's awesome! I don't know what i'd do without my lessons either! haha, anyway, i hope it works out!

[Jasmine]

Thanks, yeah lesson=my life. We finally cut down part of the big field to make an "arena". The footing is just grass but I guess it's good practice for shows because it seems the jumper classes are always on grass. Now that I have a real arena I can start the actual work.

Yesterday I worked mostly at the walk and tried to get Lucas to go on the bit. I've lunged him a few times this week already to get him to loosen up a bit. Lucas was pretty stiff and it took a while to finally get him to give but once he gave he was really good. Once I had it at walk I tried a bit of trot. That went pretty well. He was on the bit for a few strides then he'd drop it and then he'd be back on again. It's just not consistent yet. I then loosened my reins and let him stretch out at the trot and then the walk and then I called it a day.

I'm heading up to Villa Training tomorrow and I'm so excited!

[Jasmine]

I'm so happy right now! I'm able to get lessons at Villa Training and my first one is on Thursday. Yeah!!!!!!!!! We went up there today to meet with the instructor Andrea Strain. She was super nice and was very down to earth. The facilities are beautiful and there were a lot of nice horses up there. Andrea's mom breeds Canadian Warmbloods so there were a couple of foals out in their paddocks. Julia took some pictures of them so maybe she'll post them.

I rode Lucas yesterday. He was really hot for some reason, maybe it's all the grass he's eating. I lunged him before my ride and when I asked him to canter he bolted. He bolted again when I was riding him. Silly guy, he needs to take a chill pill. He's usually really mellow. Lucas was pretty good other than that. I might ride him later but right down it's raining cats and dogs

[Jasmine]

Well I just got back from my lesson at Villa Training. It went really well! I enjoyed myself and I didn't fall off.. that's the main thing. Anyways I rode a 17hh warmblood named Rinaldo. Quite a step up from little old Lucas. Rinaldo was a really nice guy but just a tad bit lazy.

We just did the basic stuff, w/t/c and went over a vertical and then a vertical line. I was very proud of myself, I was able to sit to all of his humongous gates. I didn't ride to the best of my abilities though, I was a little nervous at the beginning of my lesson. My shoulders kept hunching up so Andrea made me work on sitting up tall and not hunching. She's getting me to ride Rinaldo again because you have to sit up tall if you ride him or else you're going to fall off

I have a couple pictures of Rinaldo and I so you can see how big he is. No riding ones though. The arena wasn't the best for pictures.

[Jasmine]

Have been really busy lately so I haven't had time to update this. I had another lesson at Villa last week and my next lesson is coming sometime after Tuesday. We had to wait a bit for my lesson because Andrea was away competing at a show. I actually got to go watch her ride. She rode in the $40 000 Kubota Cup at Twin Oaks. Great class, very exciting to watch. I had a blast.

Anyways back to my riding. I've been working on my eq in and out of my lessons. I've focusing on closing my hip angle so I can support myself with my lower leg, keeping my back flat and my shoulders back. My lower leg has gotten a lot better. It's a lot easier for me to remember to keep my hip closed because if I don't my legs start moving. The hard thing to remember is keeping my shoulders back. It's so easy to let them hunch. Out of my lessons I get someone to come out and yell at me every time I let my guard down. That way I'll eventually burn it into my brain. Only a few weeks until Liz gets here! Yeah!!! I guess I'll update this after my next lesson.

[maria]

Aug 10, 2008 23:11:17 GMT -3 Jasmine said:

Out of my lessons I get someone to come out and yell at me every time I let my guard down.

haha, that works sooooooo well for me ;D Last time I jumped a course, I had Julia yelling "SIT BACK!!!!!!!" All throughout my ride, lol! It worked though!

[Jasmine]

I think it's the best way to fix a eq fault lol.

[Jasmine]

I was supposed to have a lesson with Andrea today but it was re-scheduled because Rinaldo had to replace another horse at a show. But I got have a lesson with Liz so it all worked out

Today we worked on keeping Lucas's canter collected and balanced. I would do a walk-canter transition and then using my sit/hand/leg aids to keep his canter collected. I would do that for a couple strides then come back to walk and then do another walk-canter transitions. I did that all around the arena both directions.

Liz then set up a bounce line of poles that were a little bit short for a regular Lucas stride. I would do a walk-canter transition, keep Lucas's canter collected, go do the line and then maintain his canter around the turn then come back to walk and do it all over again. Once that was easy Liz raised the poles. Then we fooled around with the striding. First we made it a 1-stride to a bounce then we made it a bounce to a 1-stride. Then we made it a 3 pole bounce. It really made me ride Lucas's canter. Just for kicks Liz set up a vertical at the end of my lesson and I popped over it. We experimented with an open rein as I approached the fence to see if Lucas would pick up his correct lead after. It worked every time I did. So hopefully all I have to do to ensure Lucas lands on the right lead is use a bit of open rein before the fence. If it works it would solve A LOT of problems.

It looks as if I'm going to be going to a show! There's two hunter/jumper shows in September and October and I might be going in them! That's if I can get all the memberships and such worked out. I looked at the prize list and I think I'm going to be doing either the low hunters (2'6) or equitation and then the welcome jumpers (also 2'6). So I'm excited for that!

[Jasmine]

I had a lesson last night and this evening. Yesterday I worked on getting Lucas to go into a long and low frame. I started out doing 15m circles asking Lucas to relax his neck and stretch down. Once his jaw started to supple I began to mosey around the arena switching directions and making figures when needed. I was very pleased with him at the end of that lesson

This evening I had a jumping lesson! I picked up where I left off last night by getting Lucas to stretch and relax in the trot. Then I went into the canter and worked on keeping it balanced and forward. Once I was warmed Liz had me jump a vertical on the long side. It took a couple of tries for me to relax and be able to feel the distance. I tend to tense up threw turns since Lucas tends to get a little strung out. I lock my elbows and latch on for dear life which in turn makes Lucas even more flat. That usually results in a crappy distance to the fence. Once I relax and soften my elbows Lucas stays balanced and finds a good distance.

Liz had set up a vertical on one long side, an oxer on the opposite long side and a vertical across the diagonal. Liz had me continuously go over the vertical and oxer sometimes switching directions over the diagonal vertical. The open rein before the fence really works for Lucas. Every time I rode him correctly to the fence and used the open rein a few strides before and during the jump he would land on the correct lead. So I'm thrilled about that!

On a side note I bought a new bridal for Lucas today! There was a huge sale at greenhawk and I ended up getting a nice hunter bridal for 30% off! Lucas's tack is finally starting to all match again. Now I just need a new girth and stirrup leathers. We also switched Lucas's bit from a egg-butt french link to a full cheek snaffle with tabs just to give me a little bit more steering.

[Jasmine]

I had a jumping lesson yesterday. After warming up Liz had me jump on a circle. I would around the circle in the same direction a couple of times then switch direction over the jump and go around the circle in the other direction. It was a little hard to judge the distance to the jump. One time I screwed up my line to the fence and ended up losing my balance and nearly fell off. The next time around my line was much better.

Liz then set up 3 jumps on different diagonals and had me go around switching directions over the jumps. I made an effort to keep my body relaxed going to the fences. It really helped! It was really easy to feel the distances to the fences. So if I felt like I was going to be deep or long I could fix it a few strides before the fence. Lucas also landed on the correct lead every time during the lesson. I didn't have to do a single simple change. So I am very very very happy about that. I think I've finally firgured out how to correctly use an open rein.

[SoLaNgE(L)]

WOW sounds like u had a fun lesson!!!! im glad to see you and Lucas are doing awesmoe Though i didnt have any doudt about that anyway

[Jasmine]

Aw thanks Solange!

I rode Lucas on the flat this afternoon. Right from the start I worked on getting Lucas to stretch down and into the contact. I did at the walk, then at the trot. I find doing lots of figures, leg yielding and switching direction really helps keep Lucas straight and supple. I also worked on switching the bend. In the canter I practiced keeping my arms supple. Lucas has a beautiful rhythmic canter if I don't interfere with it. That's the problem, I'm like a control tower. I'm always fiddling and trying adjust Lucas's stride to keep it even. It's counter productive when I fiddle because if I just sit still Lucas keeps his stride even. Then I did some no-stirrup to end my ride.

I have a lesson with Andrea on Rinaldo tomorrow so I'll update this then

[maria]

I know what you mean about the "not fiddling" part. The exact same goes for Connor. If I want him to go into a frame, I just hold my reins short contact, but then just hold them even, and steer with my legs (like your supposed to do). When I start playing with his mouth and everything, he starts getting pissy about it Same goes for jumping. If I try to steer him too much with my reins he runs out, but if I just ride him straight to it, with no uneven rein contact on either side he'll go over it.

However that's all easier said then done!

[Jasmine]

Yeah I agree Maria.

I had my lesson at Villa today. I rode Rinaldo the beast. I think he was extra lazy today. Either that or my legs were weaker than normal. I am very proud of myself because I was able to sit to his humongous trot and canter! Hooray for me. At the beginning of my lesson we did some flat work. I worked my eq like stretching my legs down, keeping my shoulders back and elbows in. After doing that at w/t/c we jumper a little course. We did a six stride line to a diagonal to another diagonal. The first time I did the six-stride I screwed up my distance. Rinaldo's stride is so big you don't realize how much ground you're covering. It feels slow but you're actually making up a lot of ground. I had to do the line twice before I got it right. After doing the course a few times I cooled out.

I also lunged Lucas with side-reins. He was really good today, probably the best he's been on the lunge yet. Before I put the side reins on Lucas I let him trot and canter around on the lunge to warm-up. Usually Lucas just sticks his head in the air but today he was stretching down, think long and low. Since he was being so stretchy without the side reins I decide to put the side reins two holes lower than I usually do. Lucas stayed on the bit the bit at an even tempo the entire time. All I had to do was squeeze the lunge line every few strides. Normally I have to give a half halt every second stride.

I worked on gradually spiraling Lucas in an out on while keeping him at an even pace and on the bit. That went well. Lucas kept his stride even and when he moved out to the larger circle he would relax his neck and stretch down. At the canter I worked him on a 20m circle. Like at the trot I tried to keep Lucas moving at an even space and with him on the bit. He was always on the bit in one direction but in the other he would hold himself for a few strides then poke his head up for a stride or two. I just had to give a half-halt on the lunge line and he would go back onto the bit. Then I took off the side reins and walked him around the arena a couple of times to cool out.

[Jasmine]

I had two lessons yesterday, one at Villa and another one from Liz at home. At Villa I rode Rinaldo again. We really worked on my eq in this lesson. My main problems is keeping my hip angle closed, keeping my lower leg still and in the correct place and keeping my shoulders back. Andrea had me ride Rinaldo with no stirrups. It actually wasn't that bad. It was easier to sit to his trot without stirrups actually. After warming up w/t/c I jumped a small gate a couple of times then I did a grid exercise. I really have to work on stretching up and not rounding over my fences and keeping my shoulders back. The grid did help though.

In my lesson with Liz we worked on jumping "spooky" fences. We dragged out a hay bail and stuck it under a jump. We also bought some flags, bright flowers and we made a brick wall out of some plywood. I got over every fence on the first try, no refusals. If you tell him to Lucas will jump anything. You just have to be 100% sure you want to jump the fence. At the end of my lesson Liz had me jump a little course. That went ok. We had some bad distances and Lucas didn't get all of his leads but that was my fault really.