Once again, media-less. Sorry!

So handsome. 

This is a double lesson recap as I rode on Thursday AND Sunday. Woohoo! I’m seriously in love with Bob! He’s a character. A baby faced, teenaged (13ish) character. He figuring out he can’t bite me (I bite back), is HIGHLY disappointed that he gets smacked when he tries to bite me, and now only halfheartedly tries to “bite” me. It’s sort of amusing. He looks as me, moves closer and closer, and ultimately bites at the air. And get tapped for it. Then sighs, defeated. This is the same horse I was originally told to get from his stall with a crop so he knew not to eat me alive… Bottle babies… Lol. I will say, for all his mouthiness, he actually takes treats like a gentleman, unlike a certain RANGER pony who tries to fit my entire hand in his mouth… Bob eat each treat separately, chews, then gently takes the next?!?!?! Go figure. I’d feed him in his bucket except he’s SO gentle. Probably because he’s scared of me now.

So lessons. Thursday we rode in the dark under the lights because FALL. Fall sucks. I was tired and having breathing issues. But, our flat work was decent AND we successfully mastered out changes this lesson! So much so that I even asked for them after a few fences. Who am I? Lol. We had one stop because I forgot what I was doing and where I was going and basically was a complete space cadet, but it really wasn’t Bob’s fault. I was user error. 100%. I approached the outside single (the ONE fence in the ring that I’m not concerned about) still thinking about my turn rather than riding to the fence and forgot to squeeze and Bob said, “wait, what? do you want me to jump? You’re not really here…” so we didn’t.  A quick kick (just because we’re trying to train him to take riders over even if they forget to keep leg on 100% of the time) and reapproach, and it was fine.

unfortunately, he’s a cribber..

We also did our first line. Basically, it appears with Bob, you ride each jump as a single. So, leg to the first, land, woah, collect, leg. Nice, easy, no hesitation. And, as long as I stay back with my body and add leg, he’ll jump anything. Which I learned when we came up to our inside single which was some jump with massive (I mean MASSIVE) pink flowers that Bob really looked at. But, I kept squeezing so he said OK and jumped in slow motion. (our second trip over was fine).

Sometime between Thursday and Friday, I found myself unable to breathe and since then am on new asthma meds, have a new nebulizer, and lots of fun stuff. I shouldn’t have ridden Sunday, but…

Sunday we warmed up with poles at the trot and canter (I died breathing wise) before working on changes. It took a couple attempts to get the left to right, but we got there eventually (I was lacking a little pace). The flat work took a lot out of me… After a nice break, we started over fences.

Bob and Splinty

Jumps stayed small, but it was all about control and putting things together. We started with the outside single in both directions and then the inside straw bales. From here, we ended up doing the right lead over the outside single around to the outside line. Super easy and controlled. The nice thing about this line is that it’s right against the fence so I just need to stay against the rail and keep my inside leg on… Lol.

Next, things got scary. My security of the rail was taken away. Lol. So, it became outside single (left lead) around to the INSIDE line (no security). To make it to the inside line, I really had to stay on the rail until I say the straight line and turn with 2 hands. Honestly? I think I kept turning a little late, but it worked out much better than if I turned early so we’ll take it. Bob was a bit hesitant to the in, but I kept leg on and waited and it was all fine. Body back, leg, Bob jumps. Collect on landing, wait, leg, Bob jumps jump 2. Lol. It’s really strange. He just wants to feel his rider there with him.

Goof.

So we next repeated all of that a couple of times then added in the outside line, and then the OTHER inside single with the scary pink flowers. Again, all was fine with the first 3 fences (the inside line was a lot better), then came into the outside line and on the landing of the in, had to really hold and then add leg again (this will take a little getting used to). Continuing to the final single, I was a touch forward until I realized that I was forward, got my body, back, and despite Bob’s slight hesitation, jumped it fine, landed, got the change (our only necessary one of the course), and ended on that note. But hey, first real course!

Seriously. I LOVE THIS HORSE. He’s so good for me. He doesn’t care if I miss a distance as long as I add leg.