Lucas

[Michelle]

Jasmine, I love you and Mucas TeeHee! Lucas I mean!

[Jasmine]

Had a lesson today ;D! Liz made me work on getting Lucas to bend properly while doing 20m, 15m and 10m circles in trot. We did this first with stirrups both directions then without stirrups (to work on my position). I felt like I was in my own little world for a half hour, I was so focused. Lucas was superstar and I had a really good ride. I have another lesson tomorrow, hopefully it'll be as good as the one I had today .

[Jasmine]

Had another lesson yesterday with Joan. The ground was too hard to canter so we worked on more trot circles. Our bending is improving and by the end of the winter I should have my circles down. I can't wait until the ground is soft so we can finally school jumping!!!

[nat]

Sounds good Jasmine, you and Lucas are amazing together. He really response too you!!

[Jasmine]

Thanks Nat

[Jasmine]

I was out to the barn today, the ground was really hard so I only walked around a few times and did a little bit of trot. Ugh I hate winter ! I can't wait for the ground to soften up enough so I can do some flat work.

[Jasmine]

I went out to the barn yesterday. Gave Lucas a little bit of a grooming touch up (pulled his, clipped his whiskers and hair on his legs) because he was starting to look like a hairy beast!! Then I tacked him up an headed out to the indoor.

The ground had softened up enough to do some flat work so that's what I did. First I started doing trot circles on the left rein (Lucas's stiffer side). He was pretty good with bending, at least he relaxed his muscles and gave a little bit.

Then I switched directions and tried some circles on the right rein. As soon I began a circle Lucas rode into the contact, carried his head and began to bend!!! I've been working on trying to get my pony to bend for a couple of weeks now and this was the first time out of lesson I've been able to get him to do it and keep his position. Lucas didn't even pop his shoulder like he usually does.

I did quite a few circles and than gave him a walk break and let him stretch his neck. Since I was so pleased with Lucas I decided to try some leg yields. Lucas was a superstar! I could leg yield him from track to quarter-line and than back again, switching the bend every time we switched directions. I was so happy I practically screaming good boy at him.

I decided to end on a high note and cooled him out after doing a couple of good leg yields. Lucas got an extra treat and a big arm full of hay after our ride since he was so good

[oxmaybesoxo]

Jasmine you and lucas are such a great team, you realy work together and you look soo comfortable on him! You two with be a force to be reckoned with come show season, can't wait to see you take in all the ribbons

[Jasmine]

Thanks ;D

The last couple of days have been very hectic for me and Lucas since we've moved to Clovelly! Yesterday I had my first ride since the move and I was interested to see how he would be in the new arena.

It took a few minutes for Lucas to get used to the new footing and he was very interested in the mirrors on the wall but other than that he acted as if nothing had changed. After warm-up I started to do some working trot around the arena both directions, then we did some circles (of course). I didn't really work on a whole lot of bending today because I just wanted to get Lucas used to the arena.

After that I did a bit of canter work. Today was the first time I've cantered Lucas in about a month!!! He picked up a nice bouncy canter which I was pleased with. We schooled walk-canter transitions until he was rolling back onto his haunches and propelling himself forward each transition. Then we did some canter circles. I was going to work on simple changes too but Lucas was tired so I just cooled him out.

Overall I had had a really good ride. I can't wait until my lesson which should be some time soon. The footing in the indoor at Clovelly is soft enough to jump on so I hope I'll be able to start jumping soon!!!

[Jasmine]

Last weekend me and Lucas went in the Pia Thomas clinic. For the first half-hour we worked on my position while doing flat work, then we did some jumping! Ok so it was a cross rail, but it was step up from flat work. Lucas was a super pony and jumped like a pro, so I could really focus on myself. For the first while my leg would slip forward when I jumped and my butt would creep back down into the saddle when we landed making it harder for Lucas to canter away. By the end of the clinic my leg didn't move as far forward but I still have a little trouble not bouncing back into the saddle during the landing, I think this is because I have no leg muscles and I can't hold myself up. Any idea's how I can build some muscle in my legs while riding or some ground exercises I could try?

Anyways I rode again today. I'm starting to get really good at getting Lucas to bend in both directions, I've finally figured it out! Then I tired some leg yields and did some canter circles and some simple lead changes which went over pretty well. That's all for now.

[Jasmine]

Had an interesting ride today . It was really warm at the barn (was like 6 degrees) and all the snow trapped on the roof of the indoor had turned to slush and was starting to fall off.

When I first went out in the indoor we just walked around for a few minutes to warm up. After that I did some serpentines and circles at the trot. Then I practiced switching from two-point to half seat and sitting in the canter. I did this while going in a circle or out large.

I wanted to work on Lucas's simple changes so I did that next. Mid-way through our first simple change some snow fell off the roof making Lucas jump to the side while cantering . We finished our simple change then did a 20 m circle but the horse eating standards in the corner of the arena were gonna eat Lucas so he had to jump to the side again.

It turns out there were many more dangerous things in the indoor that day like the evil sawdust pile and the scary beam of sunlight and Lucas just had to jump away from all these things too. All the "monsters" kept me from being able to really work on anything else so I just hopped off after a half hour and walked Lucas around the arena to cool him out. Hopefully the next time we ride the arena won't be so treacherous

[Jasmine]

Had a lesson today ! First off I warmed up Lucas then Liz set up two poles on a circle (one at either end). She got us to practice trotting around the circle, over the poles while staying in two point. We also had to do a medium crest release while going over the poles.

After doing that a few times in both directions we tried it in canter. I have a tendency to grip the saddle with my knees and when I squeeze Lucas to go forward it isn't as effective. Because of this Lucas would break to trot every few strides . I got better at keeping Lucas going later in the lesson but it's defiantly something I need to work on this week.

Then it was time for jumping!! Man I love jumping ;D . First Liz set up a cross-rail followed by a pole a stride away and we would trot to it and canter away. My butt is staying out of the saddle when Lucas lands now; I guess all the two point work I've been doing is really paying off.

The cross-rail then changed to a vertical and we did the same thing (trot towards it and canter away.) Then Liz added a cross-rail behind the vertical to make a gymnastic. I had a couple of really good runs of the gymnastic, all in all I had a really good lesson.

For cool out I took Lucas on a mini hack up clovelly's drive way and back. It was the first time since September I've ridden Lucas outdoors, it was very exciting ;D ;D

[Vicky]

Glad to hear youre doing so well at Clovelly! You and Lucas looked really good in the clinic! Kepe it up.

[Jasmine]

Thanks Vicky

Last night I had a lesson on Lucas with Susan Q at clovelly. It was first ever lesson with her so we didn't jump or anything, just flat work (which I wanted to work on anyways.) For the first few minutes we just walked around on a circle, practiced bending Lucas and making the circle smaller and bigger without using my inside rein to guide my pony. Then we did the same thing in trot in the center of the arena so Lucas couldn't use the walls to shape the circle.

Staying on the circle at trot Susan got me to change the rhythm of my posting to change Lucas's rhythm in trot (slowing my posting to slow his trot etc.)

I learned a lot in the lesson and both me and Lucas were sweating when it was over. My next lesson will hopefully be sometime this weekend with Liz so I'll update then ;D

[nat]

you and lucas sound fabulous!!
susan and liz are the best coaches i've ever had...i've learnt so much from them already!!