On Thursday, we had a great jumping lesson where did a three stride line and by the time we were done, the first jump was at 2' and the second jump was at 2'3"! Woot! I was very apprehensive about doing it, I'm not gonna lie. And because Bastian has been out of the jumping loop a bit too, we're both like OMG! 2'!! And he over jumps it (also because I keep saying "slower, slower when I need to just relax and let him go at the pace he's going) and it feels huge so I get a little off kilter too.
He way over-jumped the 2'3" the first time we jumped it and it felt very very cool, but it terrified me too! (In a good way, kinda like a really good roller-coaster). Thankfully I've gotten pretty good at keeping my shoulders back and keeping my position so although I feel all out of sorts, I keep my seat and land and am able to ride on, I'm not getting thrown all over the place.
So today I set up an X to a 2' with three strides and then just a single X that eventually went up to a verticle at 2' also. He was fantastic and we cantered 90% of the jumps, only trotting the first few to get warmed up, but he was ready to go! The best part is that he wasn't overjumping the 2' jump today, at all! It was just a normal jump so its not as big a deal as before...what a good boy!! *pat pat*
I was pretty cooked myself towards the end, I had the brilliant idea of riding in my jumping tack on Saturday too, but still "dressaging." Brilliant idea? Yes. Achy muscles? Yes. I'm trying very hard to stay in a lighter seat in my jump tack, more hunter-ish (yes, I'm progressing towards the dark side! lol) whereas in my dressage saddle, when I get a little fatigued towards the end of the lesson, I can use the saddle to support myself a bit, I don't have to be as dependent on my muscles and position as much. Jumping saddles are not that forgiving.....but judging by the ouchy-ness of my muscles, I think I am making progress. I'm glad that I won't have a chance to ride again until Wednesday because my muscles need to recover!
After we were done, I pulled his tack off and set up a small oxer. Bastian doesn't understand oxers in the sense that they are different and so he will way overjump them. I came off of him the first time we jumped an oxer last year because he just didn't know what to do with it other than jump it like it was a 5' triple bar and I just lost my balance.... Anyway, I decided I would start lunging him over some oxers when we jump so he can figure out that they are no big deal on his own before I get up there. The first couple were a little sticky then he got his groove on and when he came around he locked on the fence and took it like it was nothing. He was actually getting a little lazy about it. I got it up to a 2' square oxer and he went over it both ways.
Bastian was a gem on Saturday, we managed to to some lengthenings, have nice transistions and did some pseudo shoulder ins. (We're just starting to play with the idea of shoulder ins, I really don't know what I'm doing aside from trying to get him on three tracks and getting him to move his shoulders).
So thats it! Bastian got to play outside this morning with his friend RW, so I think that made him happy :)
Bastian enjoying his hay after a wonderful day of jumping :)
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