For reasons that I don’t feel like going into (other than saying, I HATE TRUCKS), I almost cancelled my lesson this week. But, for my sanity, thankfully, I didn’t.

For the first time in the longest time, I did not get to tack up. So the entire ride was sort of weird??? I showed up and started getting my stuff together when my trainer walks in and grabs Ranger and informs me that she’ll tack up while I get my boots on. Turns out the previous lesson no showed (or more likely cancelled the week before and no one remembered) and since I was there, she’d tack up for me while I got ready. Ok then. I sort of relish my time tacking up, but… not going to upset the apple cart. 

Thankfully once I was on, I could take my time to breathe before we actually started working and trotting. So I took a few minutes to breathe and stretch before we got to work. That said, I was still carrying and insane amount of tension throughout all of my trot work. Still, I felt like I’m really getting somewhere with bending and Ranger is realizing that I am going to make him and it’s just easier to listen. Part of the issue is I’m one of the only ones who make him bend so… to the left we drilled sitting trot which is TERRIBLE when you are carrying tension. And I’ve had on and off back issues and probably need an mri… OMG. To the right, more of the same, less the sit trot, but two point instead. That said, I don’t think I’ve done 2 point in a lesson around the ring in a while… BUT, my 2 point was impressive so??? Yay?  After that, we walked while Ranger took a few minutes to breathe (humid as hell). I vented. Then it was time to canter. Venting for 5 minutes made me feel SO MUCH BETTER! Tension… GONE. Of course, supposedly I transferred all of it to my trainer, but whatever. Sorry. Nothing exciting about the canter work this week.

Over fences:

We started off cantering over the inside line of 2 TINY crossrails. The goal was to do it first in a super slow 8 strides, trot across the center of the ring, canter it in 7, trot across, canter it again in 8. Basically, exercise in stride length and adjustability.

Unlike some people, I LOVE this exercise. We succeeded the first 2 times through without any issues. The 3rd time I didn’t use quite enough right leg and we had a bit of right drift and tripped at the crossrail and lost our trot for a stride but, in theory, would have had the 8 had we cantered. So we did it again just to be sure. T

Next we cantered around and did the other inside line. So, the line that has the green tree standards. First time through in a 6, then in a collecting 7. First time through, I had the pace, but remembering the last time I did this line, I cut me corner to prevent left drift which actually causes left drift (I never said I was smart). So, I never had a straight line to the second fence. As a result, I had land and add leg to get there in 6. We did it easily, but it was more work than necessary. So, instead of collecting, we did that again. Second time through, I stayed out until I could see the straight line, made the crisp turn, and what do you know? It was easy. Then we trotted through the center, collected (super easy by the gate) and did the 7, trotted through the center, added leg, and sent Ranger forward and did the 6. This time, when landing, we continued around to the outside single white oxer. Except, instead of steadying my pace, I didn’t see anything and tried to adjust. I forgot to just count 1-2, 1-2… and THEN look for something. But we got over. We did just the oxer by itself and it was easy because I remembered by that point how to ride…

Green jump around to the oxer. I cut off the ring, but you get the idea… 

We let Ranger walk for a couple of minutes while I got my last instructions. Basically, the end single around the random stone pillar to the brown oxer (out of the inside line we were just jumping) turning right in the air. Ranger was dead at this point so my goal was do it in one so we could be done. Usually that means I’m stuck on his back jumping forever but this time? I was clear and confident. I could feel him getting sticky so I picked up my canter at the far end and just established my pace and he knew I meant business. It just worked? I remembered where I was going and actually rode, using my ring and staying back, but looking ahead and being forward. Interesting that I can do that sometimes…

We cooled out with a walk which had Ranger had fly spray (oops, missed in our rush out), Ranger probably would have enjoyed more. But, overall, a very much needed lesson.

The many stages of dead Ranger

So I’m going to try and recap 2 lessons here, but I may end up splitting this into 2 posts if it gets long. I’ve just really lacked blogging motivation lately thanks to life. But I’ve had a couple of great lessons that I should really write about…

Alas on with the posting!

Flat work:

As usual, we did our normal warm up. Working trot/halting/circles/you name it. Unlike normal, I was able to really focus on getting Mr. Ranger to cooperate on bending through our circles because he’s a gem and thankfully decided that he’d listen to my inside leg.

At the canter we reintroduced our changes which…were a struggle. First time left to right we completely missed as I just had too little canter and Ranger noped right out of it, second time through I got more canter so that crossing through the center, when I shifted and added outside leg, he gave me a clean change. Right to left was a lot harder. We completely failed the first time. Second time we got the front only and continued around to try and get the back. Trained told me to kick in the corner and I…didn’t. Third time, same thing. Front, not back, but in the corner I listen, kicked and got the back. Basically, I needed to get the forward momentum from the back end which I was completely lacking which the kick allowed me to get. I so rarely need to kick Ranger that I was just out of sorts completely.

Over fences:

We started off we 3 fences on a circle. A cross rail, and the 2 outside singles.

Plain jane standard cross rail and the white and blue standards outside single and the white standard outside single (different heights, but same locations)

The goal of the exercise was to ride the jumps in a continuous circle. We did it to the left first 3-4 time, then to the right 2-3 times. Even though Ranger bends better to the left, he likes to land right. So, the left was harder initially, but eventually we fell into the right rhythm. The right was just easy from the start. Key? Don’t rush.

Next, we attacked the single inside jump that gave me so much trouble last week, cantering up and down it 2-3 times each direction. My trainer thought it was the height (even though both the other jumps in our course were 3′ and didn’t give me issues) but I knew it was my brain. She put it back up to 2’9″/3′ and had me canter back and forth. Unlike last week, I remember that I needed to just have a steady canter (I’m back to counting my 1-2, 1-2 canter rhythm when needed to stop interfering) and that even if I screwed up the spot, the canter would make it OK. And the jump was perfect each time… “Well, no issues with that jump today…”

Last we ended with last week’s course. Cantering right lead over our outside single (blue and white standards). Then MOVING away from the gate towards the inside single that I had finally mastered, and continuing down (left lead) to the other outside single which was now an oxer. Not huge but 2’6″-2’9″.  With a steady pace and confidence, we had no issues and did this a few times before calling it a night. 

And like all good rides, we took a nice long walk to cool out, enjoying rural Chester County and the last nice night before monsoon season… or endless rain and floods unlike anything I’ve ever seen….

I’ll write about this week’s lesson in another post.