XC Dragon!

Whooo hooo!! Such a fun XC lesson with Jacel and Laura! We started out very quick! She was feral! I got grabby and was holding with my reins, which... even though it's a nathe, that's a good bit of bit with the elevator. So she went behind the vertical. BUT... if I do alternating half halts AND keep my hands low, she's way better. Plus I can ride with my seat! Although, she did let out a giant buck when I first sat and used my seat. Ha ha! 

She did settle fairly quickly though, especially because I rode better. We warmed up trotting a log, which...took us a few times to actually trot. Then we did a few other things and I had to almost leg yield her into the line so I wasn't just hanging on her face. We moved on to the banks and ditches and the combinations. She got a little feral coming off the down bank and then we totally ran past our line with the sharp turn. Jacel told me that I had to hold her accountable. I couldn't just hang on her face but I also had to get gritty and get it done at some point. So... I insisted and it got better. Although she decided to take a flyer off the bank one time... like launched off it like she was sky diving!! Holy mother!!! We were joking about bank stress and how we all hated up banks so much but I fear that she might give me down bank phobias! And of course she had to buck on landing because she surprised herself launching off it!

After that we went to the ditches and she did them fine, including the coffin. We also jumped the trakehnher just fine. No issues. Whoo hooo! So we finished with the ramp jump (which I hate but she was fine for) and then jumped the log into the water, up the bank and then out over the skinny chevron! Yep, the big one!!

 

 Good pony!!!

So much fun. She's really getting to be enjoyable!