XC Fun!

Allisa invited me to go to Stableview for a XC lesson with Waylon with her. It's been so long since Funny and I got to play that I jumped on the chance! So off we went! Liz happened to be in Aiken that weekend, so she came by to watch. Awww.. .she's so nice!

We got there and Waylon wasn't ready for us... so we walked around a good bit. Then we started to warm up so we would be ready when he was. Funny was a bit feral at first and was bucking and being silly when Allisa trotted and cantered off. She asked if I was fine and if she needed to stop. I told her no.. it was fine. And it was. I just kept asking Funny to trot and doing figure 8's and she eventually settled. We trotted around a bit but I didn't bother cantering. We'll save that so we can trot if we need to. ;) 

Finally Waylon was ready for us. We were in the "big kid" field so there wasn't a ton for us to play on. There were a few novice tables and some novice questions but it was more training and up. We warmed up with the bank in the water. He had us trot through the water and then canter up out of the water and then canter down via the bank into the water. I debated asking if I could trot it, but... figured I'd just see what happens... I didn't want to look like a wimp or feel like I was in over my head. And Funny cantered happily up and happily down. Yay! And by happily I mean she rocketed up and over and down. Jeepers child!So we came again a bit more controlled and it was better. Then we did a few jumps in a row... all tables. Allisa went first and he told her that she was too strung out and fast and to collect his stride more. So then when I went, I tried to keep her from being too feral. It didn't work. She was absolutely feral and was bucking and rearing in place practically and then launched it. So we tried again and it didn't get much better. Waylon told me to ride with more connection. Um... okay, that's what I thought I was doing. So I did. And Funny said "absolutely not!" since I closed all the doors. So, then Waylon told me to ride a little softer. So I went back to riding how I normally ride and he said "Good, that's better!". Okay... I'll just keep riding how I have been then... But, I do think he did point out that I needed to be elastic in my connection and not just hanging. Or at least that's what I thought he was trying to say. 

  

We jumped a few jumps in a row and he did make me ride straighter. She got a little squirrely and threw a shoulder and drifted and then we were all wonky. And then Liz showed up, with Grace. And Funny seemed genuinely happy to see her. We chatted briefly while Allisa did a few jumps and then it was our turn again. I think Liz being there helped. Or I just started riding better. Because it got better. We managed to get smoother jumps and less feral and more connected without the tantrums. Except at the ditch. I picked the bigger one first on accident and she said NOPE. I stayed on and we managed to get over it once she looked at it. Whoops!

 

When we finished Liz told me that she definitely thought Funny was fit enough. And that she thought that the instructor wasn't very helpful. ha ha. So she gave me some pointers. She told me that I let Funny get too long of an approach. I don't need to spend as much time getting to the fence.. just pick her up and go. She gets too strung out and then fights me when I give her too much time. Ok. She also said something else that kind of made me defensive... but now I can't remember. But she wasn't wrong. Maybe just along the lines that I was too ahead of myself. I was too focused on getting to the jump, and then the next one, and then the next one, instead of focusing on what was happening at that particular moment... how is the canter... how is my turn to the fence.. how is my line... I need to focus on every step instead of getting ahead of myself and jumping the next fence in my brain before I've even gotten to the first. 

 

So... definitely rusty... definitely not our best ride... nor the most fun... but still a worthy outing. We got to get out and play. We stayed safe. We learned something. And we got to see our friends!