Well Rox finally decided to stop feeling sore on her left front last weekend and we have had a few good schools since then. Barry rode her on Wednesday since I had to work Tues and Weds and didn't want her to just sit. Randi said that she fought him quite a bit, but they ended well. She also said that he liked her downward transitions, but not the upward ones, which I feel the opposite about. She is usually pretty prompt and round in the upward ones for me, and tends to get poll low and on the forehand for the downward ones to walk....I will have to see what she feels like on the flat today.
We went over to Topline for a jump lesson with Cathy yesterday. It was supposed to happen last week, but she was still off so we had to reschedule. Now I am wishing we were able two lessons in because we have quite a bit to work on! I don't even know where to start with the lesson :) Let's just say that I am seriously out of shape for jumping and need to make quite a few adjustments to keep in mind to ride Rox correctly to the fences.
We started out with Cathy watching us warm up on the flat, and within 5 minutes she had everything pegged. My leg gets too far out in front of me, and I drive too much with my seat at the canter. Rox falls in at her haunches in the canter and doesnt want to weight her inside hind. I have been sitting the canter most of the time with her because it makes me feel more secure and like I have control, but Cathy noticed that it was making her a little too forward and I was not able to slow her down without pulling too much. Instead she had me pull my lower leg back underneath me more, and stay out of the saddle in more of a 3-point position. It was very difficult for me to hold this position for a long time because my muscle memory is used to sitting and having my leg more forward. I was definitely able to control her canter better and use my whole body to slow her down. We cantered over some rails on the ground, trying to get very quiet, small strides to the base of them. It took Rox a little while to figure out what I wanted, but she got it after a while. I felt like we cantered for 20 minutes straight!! Cathy made the important point that 2/3 of the work event horses do at shows is in the canter, so we need to school it more and become stronger in it.
Then we trotted a rail bending to a small gate and the other direction to a stone wall jump. She jumped the first fence in a very uncoordinated way and shot off on the landing. Cathy reminded me to keep my leg underneath and be ready for anything by keeping my upper body moving with her. This helped the next few times because I felt like I didn't have to do much on the approach, in the air, and landing. The jumps were pretty small, so I am interested to see how it feels to raise them a little and keep that position. Cathy really emphasized bending her after the fence and having the feeling of leg yielding out to get control back.
Next we did an exercise with the rails again, this time cantering 3 rails on a big circle, and trying to keep her soft and bending in the canter over all 3 of them. She did this well and really used her hind end to carry her weight. Then we added a fence instead of the third rail, and she jumped it quietly and well. Then we came off the right and cantered out of a turn to the same vertical and she did that pretty well. She felt like a hunter!
At this point I was feeling like I would keel over, both from all the cantering without a break and the hot sun pounding down. I was embarrassed that I am out of shape and Cathy suggested jogging...haha. She said I must have forgotten about "Camp Cathy", and I completely agreed. I am surprised at how well Rox handled all the cantering, as I definitely thought she would feel as tired as I did! We ended by doing the 2 rails to the vertical, and then went all the way around the ring to a long straightaway at an oxer, and she jumped it well and out of an excellent rhythm.
We talked about being able to go with a less strong bit eventually, and it reminded me of Hagen and how he was able to go in a corkscrew eventually after he became strong enough to hold the correct canter. I am a little concerned about being able to school enough fences before the HT next weekend, but I think we will be OK. I just want to reiterate to Rox that we have a "new" way of cantering and jumping and be able to get it at the HT. I asked for Cathy's help with the jumping phases so that makes me feel better that she will help get us ready to go.
I have the week planned out and need to focus and polish everything up again!!
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