Well I just realized that I didn't put the picture up on the other post. DUH. So look for it on the bottom here. :)

Just came back from the barn and a perfectly LOVELY ride on The Cat! :) Today I think I started to really like this horse. :D

We did some flat work to warm up. (Like it wasn't 90 degrees already) She is really stiff to the right so I"m doing lots of 3 loop Serpentines and suppling exercises. I noticed just a tiny bit of improvement today.

We started over our little cross rails and she was really starting to get the idea of not rushing TO the jump or AWAY from the jump! And yep! I remembered to look up ahead and to sit up after the jump to help rate her speed. And glory be, whattya know? It worked! hehahaha

So then I thought, hey we're doin good, lets add a jump on a five stride straight line. So we do that with ease. I'm all happy now! Yesterday when I tried it she was dodging out about three strides into it and really fighting going through the grid. Today I think she figured out what I wanted to do and was locking onto the second jump and really staying straight! She even chipped in a half stride at one point when I got a little discombobulated and didn't ride her true. GOOD GIRL! She had every chance on that one to dodge out and she rode it through! THERE IS PROMISE HERE! :)

So then we do that a few times and I decide to get a little cocky and throw in a bending line. (our jumps are pretty much set up in a course that has a lot of different options available in any direction, we all just change heights depending on what we are doing) So there is a cross rail to another cross rail on a four stride bending line. Next to the first X is also a solid coop that would make it a five stride bending. But she doesn't really like the coop so much so I went with the shorter line.

Anyway, the first attempt she just takes off after the first X and I'm like, whoa! slow down honey! :) So I then made her walk this sharp little turn and show her the next jump I'm aiming for. So we try again. This time she takes a huge leap over the first x and turns the right way for the next one but goes flying past like WHAT THE ?? is that jump doing there?!?!? lol  SO our third attempt I really concentrate on sitting back and LOOKING at the next jump and she finally figured it out! We did like two canter strides and break to trot but she pops right over the second x! YAY!! I'm so happy after that I just decide to go for a walk in the XC field. She deserved it!

So we go all the way to the bottom of the field and she kind of looks at me like, hey can we? And I say, sure! And we have the most lovely, uphill, balanced canter across the bottom of the field! It was magical I think! lol  If we can accomplish that in a Dressage test I think we'll get 8s!! (well maybe 7s but you know) After that I really let her have a gallop up the long hill. She LOVES that hill and really shows her racehorse bloodline. It's soooo much fun!  One day I have to get somebody to video that long run up... I want to see if my smile is a big as it feels. :D

So I'm kind of torn whether to give her tomorrow off and ride Sunday or ride tomorrow and build on todays and give her Sunday off..... maybe I'll just see how I wake up tomorrow. hehehe

So here's the picture that didnt' post: just something funny I found online: