Athletic Heifer!

 Oh Fun! You're a hot mess! But I love you.

 

We had a jump lesson today. We got there early and had a nice hack with Sharon and Baylor first. She was a good girl but jumpy again today. She jumped a few times at birds... a frog jumping in a puddle... nothing.. But it was just a little startle, so.. okay. We even trotted up the big hill together and although Funny picked up a canter for two or three strides and snaked her head around, she was good and let me pull her back up and kept trotting. We finished at the jump arena and Sharon started to leave and she got mad but then Smarty and Player showed up so she was fine. ;)

 

 

We had a good lesson. Funny fits right in with the "big kids" although we kept the jumps small today because in an earlier lesson, there was a bad crash and Jacel was a bit traumatized still. Rightfully so! It was a bad one. But they weren't tiny jumps! We worked on serpentines and riding the haunches out (inside leg to outside rein). No pulling on the inside rein... turn by moving both hands to the outside and pushing the haunches/barrel to the outside. We also worked on rideability because I always have to. :) 

We warmed up and Funny was super. I think the high temps worked in my favor too. We even cantered each way before we started jumping and she was quite good. We started off with three jumps in a big serpentine. So... jump one, roll back (a long line though), jump another, roll back the other way. Funny was super and bold but not bolty. Forward, strong and brave, and a bit too cocky, but respectful. Nice! Then we did it again and it went well too. Then we did added another line to it, with a 4 stride. All still small, but tighter roll backs. And... not so good. Funny got excited and blew me off and ran through my aids and blasted herself over the fences. The first two were decent, then the line was rough and the final fence was a disaster. She basically bolted and ran through her distance and just.. .jumped through the fence. Then she was mad that she rapped herself and bucked. Well.. that's On YOU baby girl.. not me! Next time, listen to my half halt! 

  

So we tried again and I had to get in her face hard core and slam her to a stop a few times. And then she was more polite. But then, she figured out that she could be polite and then two or three strides out.. I wouldn't touch her face, so she was polite, polite, then bolt the last two strides. Um no... that's not acceptable either. And while I don't want to pull on your face, I totally will. Because NOW, while the jumps are smaller, is the time to learn this hard lesson darling! So we did a bunch of halting in front of the fence, then walking a step or two, then trotting over it. And we did a bunch of circles. Jacel said it's not pain, she wasn't scared... she was just excited and having fun and wanted to do it her way and that's not acceptable. You only get to do fun things when you can do them safely and correctly. 

So then.. she told me to lean back. And she meant just sit up tall and half halt with my core and body. But, because she phrased it as lean back... and because earlier I had watched Laura riding more upright in her chest and sternum and how it affected Smarty... he almost acted like he didn't know what to do with it because he couldn't get away with anything, so he slowed down and jumped nicer. And duh!! It clicked in my brain. Just like on the flat... if I can sit down and deep (not driving... definitely not driving) I can influence her. It rocks her back on her hind end and lifts the front end and makes it difficult for her to hang on me and dive down. And it totally worked! Almost too well. I sat "down" and "leaned back" and she broke to a trot. Oh!! I didn't have to even touch her face! Ahhhhh... another struggle of "Holly's horses is nicer than Holly so Holly keeps screaming her aids and using her hands instead of whispering with her seat and core". 

 

But I manned up and we were able to finish with two rounds of her being fairly respectful and jumping nicely with me sitting up and back. And... that's how I have to ride Lyric too, but for different reasons, so.. it should have come more natural to me. I think Funny just gets so quick and in an effort to not just hang on her, I get too soft and thus get pulled up into a perch without realizing it. Plus, that's my go to position anyways... But now I will do my best to remember to "lean back" with her - while dressaging and jumping - since I was reminded how effective it was!

Good pony. Then I hung around with Elliott for a bit while Smarty and Player left. That way poor Elliott wasn't alone. Although once they started working, I left. 

 

Good pony! I'm getting excited about the Lucinda clinic.