End of week8 cantering and start of jumping

Mon - day off

Tue - date night!  Intended on lunging before work but got stuck in traffic so ended up doing 10mins with him, mostly in trot/canter with the lungie bungie on like the draw reins on the lunge - lungie bungie doesn't work as well as it stretches and he just fights it whereas he submits nicely to draw reins.  Probably might as well have left him in the field - oh well!

Wed - jumping.  Proper jumps at last!  I had a 2ft jump with canter pole either side with 3 of my strides in between so a bit on the short side but when he did it properly it helped sit him back and make him look down and pay attention, a 2ft4ish oxer made out of planks with ground pole either side and a 2ft7 upright - all jumpable from both ways.  He was wild - leaping and charging at the fences, taking strides out and jumping canter pole and 2ft jump in one go.  Was taking me ages to get him back under control after each fence but at least he was loving it!

Thur - flatwork schooling including the poles so single pole on one long side, 3 canter poles on the other side.  Silly horse leaping over the canter pole massively but he did the 3 in one go nicely.  He was a bit heavy in my hands in general though - not the nicest session I've had but not easy to work around all the jumps in that small school.  Think jumps can go away now as start competing again next week so no real need to jump at home.

Friday - short hack then 15mins jumps.  He was up for it on the hack, snorting and charging off.  Not so impressed to go in school again.  Much calmer and just popped the fences nicely.  Kept oxer and upright the same.  Changed canter poles to two 2ft uprights with single canter pole in the middle - kept distance the same so still quite short for him.  Worked really well as made him shorted and really use himself to pick up over the jumps.

Today - Tracey lesson.  Worked on some centre lines with halts at X.  Must remember to look up and forwards when ride away to keep him nice and straight.  Did some work in sitting trot making the trot as slow as possible, then walk, halt and trot on again.  He needs to flex his joints more on the ground - she says he pings off the ground and then flexes lots but needs to melt into the ground and flex his joints when he lands.

Then we did some really challenging canter work.  Canter 1/2 10m circle to centre line, back to E/B and counter canter up the long side before as near to 1/2 10m circle as possible and straight down the school then half pass to the outside track which kept us in counter canter so just keep repeating.  Then back into trot and boy did the trot have some power.  So, bring the trot back, collect it up then let it out!  The medium strides are starting to come - I'm being greedy and wanting them all right now but I think they are coming.  Repeat on the other rein.  He was doing a super job at this tough exercise.  He did some wonderful 1/2 10m circles in true canter and spot on counter canter up the long side and then had a really good bash and managed about 1/2 12m circle in counter canter and gave the HP a good try considering never asked him to do it.  Occasionally he broke so had to walk and then go walk to counter canter and he was really getting this and doing some lovely big, powerful transitions.

Then we did some work on the canter-trot-canter on a straight line that is in N39.  She said absolutely fine to go rising trot - wouldn't attempt sitting trot on his big, pingy trot.  Left rein it is fine.  I use my outside leg back as I rise and then ask as I sit and we get instant transition with no sitting trot strides all fine.  Right rein I struggle to swap my brain round and it tries to do the same as on the left rein so dont get a nice, instant strike off as asking either as I rise or when on wrong diagonal.  Must make sure am on the right diagonal when first come back to trot then remember to ask as I sit.  Stupid one sided brain.  Take the transition slightly nearer to the corner on this rein as well just to help him with the idea of striking off on the correct leg.

Oh, and always remember - not too much inside left neck bend!

Sparsholt tomorrow for BE92/BE102.  It's gonna be flipping freezing!