About the Lssons

Friday:
Cadence had Thursday off (well, I free lunged her... but really she had the day off) so I decided to jump her Friday, and flat Sat.  After a good quick warm up in which Cadence was really nice and calm we started off cantering into a 2'9 ish bounce.  The first 1 or 2 run throughs were a little awkward with her being a wee tiny bit backed off the first time, and getting in on a long-ish spot on the second. However, after the first two we (literally) hit our stride and so my coach added a 3'6 vertical 21 feet away from the bounce.  For the non-jumpers, 21 feet is a tighter 1 stride, or an "indoor" 1.  After popping neatly through that in the bounce to the 1-stride direction and in the 1-stride to the bounce direction.... if that makes sense... we made the 1 stride 24  feet.  Cadence also calmly jumped through this, and surprised me by letting me rate her to the fences which resulted in perfect distances every single time.  Go mare!  We ended the lesson by working on flying changes.  This was only the second time we've worked on flying changes, and we jumped right into them from the canter but she nailed every. single. one. Woot!!  Her jumping is better than its ever been, and we're in a really fun stage right now.  If only I could sort out that flat...

Saturday:
The lesson started out really well. After a quick w/t, we moved right into canter-trot transitions.  My coach had me focus on using my left rein to close her shoulder and get her off the right rein when she started to lay on it when cantering right.  This did wonders for us, and her transitions began to improve. Still not where they were before, but better.  Then after a few decent ones to the left she asked us to go canter-walk.  Cadence was not happy with this plan, and started barging through the trot taking us about 1/2 a circle to finally walk... even with the aid of the wall.  We spent the remainder of the lesson settling her back down.  Aside from the little attitude & muscle display, the lesson was on a whole good, and Cadence finally seems to be working out of her "dressage issues" she developed.  Hopefully getting her teeth done (vet comes Thurs) will help with the last bit of resistance she seems to be harboring.