Tempting fate and paying the price!

Today I was thinking about how I haven't fallen off in ages, and I'm probably due for one soon. I arrived early and reluctantly handed over the cash for next months lessons. I am so skint. Why do I always do this every payday? I'll get paid, get all excited and spend it all, then spend the rest of the month boohooing over my lack of funds. At least I have the sense to put my savings away at the start of the month, and refuse to touch them. 
Anyway, I was given Bally and was excited as there were only four of us in the group today, meaning a potential of lots of jumping. Unfortunately after a few laps around the school we all decided Bally was lame and quickly had to transfer to another horse. I got Rupert and was ok with this, even though I'd never jumped him before. Simon said we were going to do courses for the first time today, which was pretty exciting! 
We had a usual warm up of trotting on both reins and having a couple of canters, then got straight into the jumping. We started with one jump then built it up to five, gradually increasing the height as we did so. I've drawn a picture which is at the bottom of this post so you can see our course! 
Kate was riding Elliot, who was on a mission! She jumped our first jump in a canter, and Elliot got so excited he started bucking after it, and the poor girl went flying into the wall! She said she hurt her back and arm but she was very brave and got back on, and carried on with the course. 
Rupert was going...ok. He kept swapping from lazy trotting to a raring canter, so it was quite hard to keep up with. He ran out of three jumps with me, completely my fault as my reins were a bit slack. Then we got to our last go at the course. First jump we got over in a nice, active trot. We cantered to the second jump, trotted for the change of rein and cantered over jumps 3 and 4. We then turned the corner far too sharp for jump number 5, but I figured we were pretty straight a few strides away so kicked Rupert on. We came to the jump, my body was ready and started to fold, and Rupert slammed the brakes on! I went straight over his head and landed on the jump! Luckily I was wearing my body protector (I knew I made that New Year's Resolution for a good reason!), so it took the hit and my back was fine. Simon came over, checked I was ok and tried to give me a leg up to get back on. But the adrenaline was still coursing through my body like a hundred Mexican Jumping Beans, and my brain and body completely disconnected! It was so funny, every time Simon said "1, 2, 3!" my legs said "NOOOO!" I did eventually get back on to do the course a couple more times. As I was coming up to one jump Simon said "Try not to fold so early, move when you're in the air", but I got ridiculously left behind over the jump! I went back to my normal style and just prayed Rupert wouldn't refuse again... 
Luckily he played nice and we managed to do the course very well the last 2 tries! 

I also had a lesson on Sunday with a friend of mine, Jasmine. We rode at Oaklands Riding School in Exeter and it was awesome! I rode a beautiful horse called Cassie and she rode a cob called Mr Chips. We started off in a little indoor school but once the instructor realised we had ridden before and didn't lie about our abilities (it was the first time we'd ridden there) we got to go outside for some jumping. We started off with a small cross pole that she gradually put up over the lesson. I think by the end of it the centre of the cross was roughly 2 foot! We had loads of fun despite the freezing cold weather! 

xx

Jumping 2 foot for the first time in ages!

Ah, naughty me, not posting my blog last week again... 
I thought I'd just sneak it into this weeks, as nothing terribly exciting happened. We had a flatwork lesson, and I was given Charlie. For a bit of a change we learnt a formation ride. It was actually really good fun! My routine as lead file was (in trot):

• C to A, track left
• Change rein F to H
• Pass other riders on inside track
• A to C next to rider "pair"
• Track right
• Change rein M to K
• Pass other riders on outside track
• C to A as lead file, halt at A 

I wish someone filmed it, it looked awesome once we'd practiced it a few times!

Today I arrived ridiculously early because Britain has decided it wasn't ready for Spring and dumped 5 inches of snow on us. I thought the roads would be packed with queuing traffic but they turned out to be uncharacteristically empty!

Come on Winter, I know you're jealous of Spring because we show it more love than you, but snowing in mid March makes us hate you more! 

I had Flan today. I'd never ridden Flan before. I'd heard he can be lazy, and that he has a reputation for biting. When I say biting, I'm talking carnivore style! I made sure I was very careful when retrieving him from his stable, I really didn't fancy any chunks taken out my skin today! 

We started off our lesson with some flatwork. We trotted lots of circles and changes of rein, with and without stirrups. Flan was pretty good, he needed a lot of encouragement as a lead but went at a nice pace when he had a tail to follow. 

Flan has a particularly interesting habit of sticking his tongue out when he's being ridden. It's so funny to watch, especially when you catch sight of it in the mirror flapping around!

For the second half of our lesson we focused on jumping. First a grid of two tiny 1 foot cross poles, which soon got changed to 1 foot verticals. Flan, even though he is massive (I'm not sure how big exactly, but we're talking 16HH+), actually made an effort over the jumps, rather than treating them like trot poles. It was pretty funny! He had a really comfortable jump. Simon called myself, Lauren and Audrey into the middle to rest whilst the others did some more smaller jumps. After a few times round we were sent back out. Simon popped one side of the vertical to 2 foot, so it was an awkward crooked jump. I wasn't sure whether to canter the line or not so I stayed in trot. I figured Flan could manage it considering his size! 

Then Simon put the first jump up to a 2 foot vertical! Ahh! I think I'd only done a 2 foot vertical once before, back when I had lessons with my friend Jasmine about a year or so ago. Probably even longer than that! 

Flan popped over it really nicely though, and the last time we went round I decided to canter in the corner and canter the double. Awesome fun! 

It looks like my goal of jumping 3 foot this year is getting closer! 

xx

Gorgeous Georgeous! (and ugly faces)

I didn't post my blog last week as I had another less than fun lesson. I had Charlie, and although I did learn some things and got to practice on my position, we just did mainly trot flatwork and a canter on each rein. I'm always surprised at how much I get worn out from a long canter! I asked Simon if I could go into the 6.15pm group the next week and do some jumping. I think I knew that this more advanced group will never jump, and I don't want to be that rider in the group making everyone do something they don't want to. 
I got given George for this week's lesson, and I seriously had so much fun that I've decided to move back in to the group before it fills up. 
Simon put the poles out straight away, I saw we were going to be doing a grid of four jumps, exciting! I made sure George was off my leg and listening to me from the start as I really really wanted a good jump. After a 20 minute warm up of trotting around (including standing in our stirrups, which I still majorly suck at!), he put up a small cross pole, only a foot. 
We went over this a few times and gradually he put up the other three jumps. George really didn't seem that interested though, possibly because they were small, and also because we were working on the left rein, which he is weaker on.
Simon started putting up the first and second jump to two foot cross poles and put us on the right rein. George loved it! He started cantering most of the line, but still didn't have enough umph in him and kept slipping back to trot for the smaller jumps. Simon called myself and Audrey into the middle and sent everyone else out on the grid a few times. After 5 minutes of jumping he sent us back out and put them all up to 2 foot cross poles. And finally, George started cantering them all, really whizzing down the line! I was so happy that he didn't really need my help with striding or egging along, and I really got to practice my position. I made sure I kept looking ahead, and it felt really secure and timed well. I wish I got it on video! At one point I was concentrating on my position so much over the jumps that I accidentally let go of the reins! Oops! It made me really want to have a go at jumping with my hands out like an aeroplane though!
On our last couple of times on the grid I managed to canter the grid (almost missed it because George "motobiked" the corner to the first fence), then cantered around the school, and back over the grid! I was so happy! I've never cantered a grid of four jumps, let alone canter the arena afterwards and back over some more jumps! Hopefully we'll be able to do some small courses in the next couple of months. And my goal of 2013 to jump 3 foot is looking more likely!
I love it when a lesson gives you a buzz! 
xx

P.S, here's some pictures from when my sister came up to the stables a couple of weeks ago!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon Bloggalogging

I'm so naughty at posting my blogs now! I'm only posting this because my friend Jasmine reminded me! 
This week we had our lesson on Wednesday, and well...it kinda sucked. I was ill, and I had Bally, which was cool, but we were only doing flatwork. So it was a bit of a frustrating lesson. I'm getting bored of constant flatwork lessons now and just wanna have a bit of a jump! Maybe on Tuesday... 
We also only worked in trot. Snore! My position is getting gradually worse although my control over the horse is getting better. Tomorrow on Bruno I'm going to do some position work (I'm also giving my nephew his first ever lesson, exciting!). I'll be posting again tomorrow with some pictures as my sister is playing cameraman. 
We did some interesting shapes that I've never done before, they were almost like a tear drop. For example, if I were riding on the right rein, I'd go from C to M, then change to left rein, and go from A to F. It was quite good to establish which sides the horses were stronger and more flexible on. We did this for about half an hour in walk, then trot. Bally is really bad at bending to the right so I spent a lot of time working on that. There was improvement in her, but my position was awful. Seriously awful. My lower leg was sliding into that horrible chair seat position. I really cannot wait to work on it tomorrow! We then spent the other half hour leg yielding and doing shallow loops in trot. 
So yeah. This blog was kind of pointless as the lesson was so damn boring! 
(Please please please let us be jumping on Tuesday!!!) I also have a job interview on Tuesday at Dogs Trust, so it'll be good to have that ride and release of tension in the evening. 
Sorry this is so short, I really didn't know what else I could add! 
xx

Took a break from the blog scene, but now I'm back!

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!
I can't believe I abandoned this blog for over a month! So rude of me! 
Anyway, here's the latest:
Me and Lauren were not all that happy in the 6.15pm group. We've both been moved to the more advanced 7.15pm group. Then we found out the 7.15pm group doesn't like jumping, and because we've joined they're going to jump once a month. So, now, Lauren and I are going to do a flat 7.15 week 1, jump 6.15 week 2, flat 7.15 week 3, and jump 7.15 week 4. Phew. 

Our new lessons in the 7.15pm group are very tough. All the other riders are (I'm assuming) over 50, and are all really good. Instead of just going round in circles, we're working on bending, contacts, leg yielding, all these complicated things! 
I'm really happy about being thrown in the deep end though. I'm thoroughly enjoying the lessons even though we've had 3 flat works with just trotting in a row. (Which is why I'm doing lesson swaps, I need to do a bit of cantering and jumping or it's all going to go down the drain again!) 

I'll start writing proper blogs about my lessons from next week. Not that anybody reads them. Except maybe Jas (who I seriously cannot wait to see in March!) 

xx

First Ride of 2013!

Happy new year, chums! Hope you all got completely sozzled and had a good snog at midnight.
I'm really sorry, I completely forgot to post on my blog last week. Nothing particularly exciting happened except that I accidentally turned up an hour early, so you're not going to get an extra post I'm afraid! 
I got to pick who I was riding today for the first time. It was only a choice between two, but still, better than nothing! I chose Conker over Shamus, as I hadn't ridden Conker in months! 
We had a lady teaching us today as it's a Thursday and Simon isn't working. Our lessons the past two weeks have been shuffled around due to the festivities. I think her name is Ally. She's really nice, and this lesson she decided to really concentrate on our positions. It meant we only did walk and trot for an hour, but it was really worth it!
We started out just walking around, concentrating on our shoulder, hip, heel alignment, opening out our chests and lifting our chins. I tried really hard today as well to work on my "penguin feet". They stick out to the sides so badly, so I was concentrating all lesson to keep them pointing forward. 
After about ten minutes of walking around we took our feet out of the stirrups and did some leg stretches. This helped open out our hips and get our legs nice and long. Ally then called us into the middle and started putting everyone's stirrups down a couple of holes. Unfortunately mine don't go any lower, so I had to go stirrup-less for about twenty minutes! Sitting trot when desperately concentrating on your position equals pain! I couldn't believe how much burn I was feeling, especially in my lower stomach! It was amazing the difference a subtle movement in your leg position makes to your use of your core and how much more strength is needed. Hello six pack! 
I asked to take my stirrups back after a while because the pain was just getting that bit too much. My stirrups felt horribly short! However I had a great sense of achievement when we spent the last 20 minutes trotting around, as my feet did not move in the stirrups once! Hurrah! It's been months since my feet have felt secure, it was so great! 
After my lesson I punched an extra hole into my stirrups so I can have them longer next lesson. I can't wait, it's only 5 days away! 
xx

Pony Club Kicks - Cringe!

Yesterday I turned up early for the last lesson before Christmas,  so I could give out all my Christmas cards! All of them had horses on, for extra dorkiness. I looked in the book and saw I had George. I know I had Bally for three weeks, but I was kind of gutted I didn't have her again! I'd only ever ridden George once and I remember him being quite hard to jump. (He refuses a lot). 
We had an extra person in the group today, she was from the 7.15pm lesson though. She couldn't go to next weeks so decided to have a two hour slot! 
We pretty much had the same routine as last week. We had a slight change in the flatwork though. We did lots of standing in our stirrups, which I still cannot do to save my life! After a few trot strides I just slump back into the saddle. I find I have to grab onto a chunk of mane to keep me steady. I hope by the end of next year I'll be able to do it with no issues! We also did an exercise where we put our left hand into the small of our backs to open our chests more. We did this in standing trot, rising trot and sitting trot. I did ok, but George likes to cut corners so there was a lot of inside leg going on! After the trot work we halved the group for some cantering. Oh my goodness. George is so hard to keep in the canter! This is where my pony club kicks came in. Practically booting him every stride was the only way I managed to keep him from breaking into trot. I felt awful! I looked awful! My upper body was too far forward, my lower leg was slipping back, my feet went too far into the stirrups, my hands were a mess, argh! The biggest challenge was keeping him cantering over the three poles Simon had put out. It was so difficult. I think everyone found it hard, I only managed to keep him cantering over the poles once. 
After our exhausting canters, Simon sent everyone out trotting and set up three small cross poles. I tried to get George cantering between them but he only mustered the energy for it a couple of times. I was trying so hard to get him riled up! Simon popped up the jumps to 2 foot cross poles for myself, Audrey and Lauren, and we went over a few times. I felt so unorganised compared to when I was jumping on Bally. George is really sweet and comfortable, but I always prefer a more forward going horse. One that responds to a squeeze, or a click of the tongue. Simon keeps telling me off for clicking. He says "Kick, not click!" to me about 50 times per lesson. I need to sew my mouth shut! I tried really hard not to do it this week either, I vow that next week I shall not click, but to only KICK! 
At the end of the lesson Simon went round asking different parts of the bridle and saddle, asking everyone to name two parts each. He kept coming to me last, I think he's cottoned on to my boffin side! He also asked everyone to name native breeds. After everyone else had said what I was going to say, I only managed to name one breed! So here is a list of native breeds of horses and ponies that I shall learn for next week:

• Cleveland Bay Horse
• Clydesdale 
• Dales
• Dartmoor
• Eriskay
• Exmoor Fell
• Hackney Horse and Pony
• Highland
• New Forest
• Shetland
• Shire
• Suffolk Punch
• Welsh A, B, C and D

xx