Oh man!!!! What an awesome ride!!! This may have been one of the best jump rides we've ever had. Dan felt amazing!!!! He felt like he had springs. He felt like he could jump the world!!! And his canter was amazing!
We had a lesson with Jacel and we started out with a fun cavaletti exercise. It looked tough though. And it was. It was three raised cavaletti's (or jumps) on an arc with the centers 9 feet apart. Then there was a ground pole 9 foot on either end, but square to the jump. We started walking through the poles so he knew what was up and then trotted into them. The exercise really made you ride with your outside aids and inside leg. After we trotted in a few times we were allowed to canter in. And... you have to have a nice canter and then use your inside leg and outside rein AND.. stay upright! I kept wanting to collapse and that did not help. Tracking right was harder for us for some reason, but we managed to get it nice and lovely a few times. It really helped get him springy!
Then we went to jumping fences. We started over a single jump and then she had us do a one stride. That kept getting bigger. :) The first few times he kind of landed and drifted and we both leaned. So she had us jump it and land in a straight line. Well, it was aimed right at the railing and not that far off the railing. So the first time I tried to halt Dan we basically chested the fence! Whoops! Good thing he didn't jump it! The second time he and I were both prepared and he stopped much smoother and sooner. We did that once or twice more and then she let me continue without the halt and jump another vertical. She had the second fence in the one stride set up to a 3'6" oxer before we were done but he just pinged over it like Tigger!!! It was awesome!!!! To help him prepare she had me ride the turn into the combo big. That way I could maintain the forward and then be settled into the straight approach. We have done something opposite before... where we cruise through the turn and then motor into the fence. Which, makes it tough to see a distance. So it was much smoother riding big through the turn, then settling into the straight approach. And it also allowed me the option of holding a hair or asking for a hair bigger stride. Especially if I kept "riding his hocks". :)
After we did that a few times we did a little mini course and he was awesome. We jumped everything quite nicely and he felt soooo good! He seemed like he was having a blast too! I think we're ready for novice!!!
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