As I thought I might, I didn't have a lesson last week because of the mud.  But the weather and ground were wonderful for riding this week.

Vive and James both came to have a lesson along with me.  But instead of Vivie on Riggs and me on Mariah, we switched.  Vivie got to ride Mariah and I got to have Riggs.

I have to admit, it was nice to ride a different horse.  I am happy with the way I've learned to ride Mariah, but it is nice to be able to focus on other things.  

For my warm up, my trainer didn't say a whole lot to me.  I mounted, and immediately felt the difference between Riggs and Mariah.  Mariah is skinny, and Riggs has more 'fullness' to her, you literally feel like you have more to sit on and spread your legs around.  

And while the slightest squeeze of the legs is enough to launch Mariah into trot, Riggs was not that way at all.  I think I should have been a little more aggressive about it.  

I started out with walk and doing some circles.  Then my trainer told me to pick up a rising trot and do whatever I felt would help us later in with the jumping.  To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what would be best.  But I picked rising trot with sitting trot circles in the corners, because I felt the transitions between a faster and slower trot would make her more responsive to my leg, which we would need later.

I think I was right about this, but I could have implemented it better.  I should have been more definite about the difference between the two trots and not so tentative.  My trainer didn't comment on my choice, so I don't know what she thought of it. 

Then my trainer had us come to walk, and told me to canter her around both directions, with some circles in both directions because we were going to have to turn to the jumps and all that.  But then she noticed that my heel was more up and my leg wasn't as wrapped around as it should be.

It took a little bit for me to understand what she wanted me to do, but once I did it, I felt the difference. I'd been starting to squinch up a little.  Once I stretched my leg out and settled more fully into the saddle, I remembered what it felt like. 

Our first round of cantering to the left was terrible.  See, Riggs still has remnants of that habit she came with of putting her head down to her knees.  She was constantly putting weight in my hand, and in the canter, this was pulling me out of the saddle.  I should have lifted my hands higher while also pushing her forward with my leg.  

Also, in turning to the left, the momentum would throw me to the outside.  I realized that I needed to put more weight down in my outside seat bone to keep that from happening.  Sure enough, on the next circle that helped. 

After a short walk break, we picked up the canter to the right. This time, I did things differently.  I sat up, and pushed her forward to make her hold herself up.  Therefore, I sat the canter better.  Also, our circles were better too.  

After that, my trainer had us come over and she showed me the jumping we were going to be doing.  My trainer has set up three jumps in a 'key-hole' pattern, and it's really versatile.  It contains the bending line that Mariah and I jumped last.  Rough diagram:

My trainer wanted me to jump the blue jump two or three times for a warm up and to see how Riggs would be about it.  Then, if that went well, jump the blue jump first and then do a bending line to the green jump like I'd done with Mariah.  Once again, I had to make sure I was straight to both jumps, no jumping diagonally.  

(Also, the jumps weren't really blue, green, or red, but I'm going to be referring to them that way so you know what and where I was jumping.  And the jumps themselves were only a little bit above one foot verticals.) 

Beings that the last horse I jumped was Mariah, and Riggs is almost the exact opposite of her, there were some differences.

Namely, in the first two or three times I went over the blue jump, I should have supported her with a better trot.  But I was just like, "this slow trot is so nice" and I was honestly kinda reluctant to ask her to speed up.  But my trainer made it clear that I needed to, and perhaps even use a kick to do it.  Because of that, we went over the blue jump five times instead of just two or three.  

Now, when it came time to do the bending line going from the blue jump to the green jump, that's when I had problems.  See, with Mariah, I learned when jumping her you had to do some things to survive it.  Number one, always be ready to steer.  Number two, always grab mane.  And number three, always expect that she's going to take a huge leap.  Oh, number four, don't ask her to speed up.

But none of those things are things that I have to do with Riggs, and actually harm our jumping.  Riggs holds her head lower than Mariah, and isn't as a natural at jumping as Mariah.  She will not take huge leaps unless she feels the need to.

By leaning forward on her neck, and grabbing mane, I was too far forward in my two point.  Thus, she felt she had to take this huge leap to get over the jump, and then slam her head down to catch me as I fell forward afterwards.  Also, having a better trot would have helped things. 

Primarily, the first jump on the bending line was good, but it was in between the two jumps that things would fall apart.  I wouldn't stay back in my two point, Riggs would make a huge leap and then slam her head down to catch me.

The main thing my trainer wanted me to do was STAY BACK.  And I could going to the first jump, but the second jump not so much.  Ironically, it was these bigger jumps that Riggs was taking that made me feel like I needed to have mane, and thus be leaning forward.  I feel like if it'd been a straight line to the next jump, I could have done better because I wouldn't have had to worry so much about steering.  But I have to say, it was nice to not have to worry about what Riggs was doing so much.

We had a break before my trainer had us go do the bending line again, only this time from the blue jump to the red jump.  And she basically left me to my own devices.  Primarily, she was over at the other end of the arena with James and talking with him about something.

Being left to my own devices can actually help me learn.  My trainer knew that I knew what I needed to change to get better jumps, and left me to find what that felt like. 

I kept repeating to myself, 'stay back, stay back, STAY BACK,'.    While I don't think this next round was much better, it was still better.  There were some moments where I did manage to stay up and back, and Riggs not jump so high on the second jump.  I don't know how many rounds we did, but it was somewhere around 6 to 8.  

On the second to last round, we knocked the first jump and the rail came down.  But, if I remember correctly, the second jump was actually good.  So I came down to walk, and went around to see how the rail had fallen.  

It was the top rail of the two, and only on side had come out of the cup, so it kinda formed a cross rail.  At any rate, I judged that it was still same to jump it without putting it back up.  

So I came around again.  I can't remember how the first jump went, but it must not have been horrible?  And to be honest, I can't remember how the second jump went either.  But I want to say it was one of those where I managed to stay back, but maybe not. What I DO remember is my trainer saying, 'Abby, kick the horse!'  Once again, I'd let Riggs fall back to that slow trot.  But before that, I think I'd been doing a pretty good job of making sure she had a nice trot. 

After that she had me come to walk, and told me that though I was probably tired, I couldn't let Riggs fall into that slower trot.  She also said that I'd probably thought she'd left me for dead XD  Based on this, I don't think she saw when I took that walking break to see how the rail had fallen.  Sad, cause the second jump on that second to last repetition was a good one.  Ah well, it's my own fault for not correcting her. 

She also said that my two point was stronger than it used to be, based on how many repetitions I'd done, which I take as a nice compliment. 

After that I just walked Riggs out to cool her down.  Vivie was already done with Mariah, but James was still on Cordell.  After I'd finished jumping, he cantered Cordell.  Not for very long, but he got it three times and went for about one short side of the arena each time, which is a definite sign of progress.

Near the end, I also started experimenting with getting Riggs to flex at the poll, though I didn't ask for a whole lot.  It was interesting that she was so sensitive to my hand in the regard, despite having leaned on me / put so much weight into my hand throughout the ride.  So, that was interesting, and I ended the ride there.  

My trainer, just before I left, mentioned that I might be riding Romeo the next time I come.  Not for my lesson, but like I used to do with Lily and Cordell, those extra 'not lesson' rides, which I haven't been doing lately.  She thinks he's just about ready to be introduced into the lesson program.  Now that he's slicked off the pounds, he looks cute and I do want to ride him.  She also mentioned that I would probably be riding Riggs again for my next lesson.  So, we get to work more on staying back and keeping a faster trot.  See you then!

Actual lesson 11/1/2022