Monday Funtime

Hello everyone! Sorry I didn't post last week, my instructor couldn't do our lesson because she had an appointment so we just skipped and moved to today. However, I had a substitute instructor because my instructor was sick today. We had a good lesson today again until we started jumping our course. We only jumped the course once. 

Before we started riding, we did our Christmas photo op. We had a lot of photos to choose from but my mom and I found the perfect one.

The halter says "Merry Christmas" on the noseband. :)

I warmed him up by doing the basic walk-halt-back up-trot and then we worked on our canter. We did accomplish a simple lead change in the middle of the ring when we changed directions at the canter. He has improved with me on him because he was a lot calmer and docile when we started riding when usually he is screaming for his buddies in the field. When we were just warming up, I did the exercise that I learned from Ryan Minor (photo down below).

This exercise really stretches your calf to help it become stronger for when you ride. Also it pushes your heel down a lot more than what you would probably be used to. 

We also worked on our sitting trot and I have a Dressage Star in the Making moment. Haha! I think I may switch to Dressage once I move to the West Coast next year, if we are moving. But for right now, I think I'll stick with it because Hercules does teach me a lot when jumping, especially when it comes to speed. 

Around 2:45, Jamie (not positive on spelling) who was the substitute instructor came and we went outside to the ring. When we went outside, he was still calm and docile which was different, but it was a nice change. We worked on our leads with the canter a lot. Jamie told me I ride with an "open hip" which is a major no-no. With the thigh being open, it does not give me the "glue" I need for staying in the saddle, especially when jumping. We jumped a line of two cross rails, a line of three cross rails as well as a cross rail in the middle which was sort of angled toward the right. We didn't really jump the whole course because he was very fast and would not listen to my half-halting so I was all over the place making circles or just making him stand still for a few minutes. At the end of the lesson we went in and he was very mouthy because if I gently pulled the reins to say "stop", he would toss his head all over the place! 

After I untacked him and groomed him, I gave him a few (three) horse treats and took him to his stall for his dinner and his apple. I stayed behind while he ate because it is funny to hear them eat a whole apple because he literally made apple sauce in his food bin.

That was my lesson for today! No riding lessons the next two weeks due to Christmas and New Year's. But I will still be blogging for Christmas! Have a good one guys!