JR Ride 14; Wizard Ride 57: C-A-N-T-E-R = J-E-L-L-O

Thursday, 3/12/2009

Another tough but fantastic riding lesson! Figure 8s, serpentines, sideways figure 8s, serpentines along the center line, circles in each corner. Shoulder in, leg yield, straight lines down the center line. JR’s balance has improved so much. His transitions are getting smoother and he’s lighter on the bit at the trot. He’s wiggly when we work on bending, but I’m pleased that he’s so willing and flexible. His leg yields were awesome- I think somebody started lateral work with him somewhere during his preliminary training.

And the canter? We worked on very large circles and straight lines. His left lead is easier than the right and it took a few tries to get him to pick up with right lead but he was willing and forward. When he’s cantering, it’s a full-body workout for me! Maintaining rhythm, keeping my legs secure, asking for a bend, WHEW! I have done only light riding for the past year so now that we’re stepping up the work, my body is getting all its old riding muscles back. Just that work at the canter had my legs feeling like Jello. We rode for an hour total and it was FAR more demanding riding than last week’s lesson for me. My right ankle feels a little swollen and I have a feeling it’s from riding in suede half chaps instead of my old leather half chaps, which give far more ankle support. After our ride, I gave JR about 10 minutes of grazing time and a good grooming.

Leg yield:

On to the horse who does not make me feel like Jello Legs :^) Wizard was fantastic. I longed him for 10 minutes, mostly trotting and just asking for a few rotations on the longe at the canter. I rode for about 15 minutes. He’s accepting more contact and stretching nicely into the bit. His transitions have improved and he’s quieter with his mouth. Wizard also got some good grazing after his ride. I think we can start to move forward with work in our next sessions, asking for more bend and riding more complex patterns. But for now, my Jello Legs are headed off to bed.