Aiken Part 1
After a 12-hour drive on Sunday, we finally made it to Aiken, South Carolina. The horses traveled really well and settled into their stalls and paddocks at Jumping Branch Farm just fine.
Day 1: Monday - Hack
Alyson, Becca and I took the horses for what was intended to be a nice hack around the property. Well, Leo and Priscilla had other ideas. They were maniacs. The big fields and activity of a large farm was a little too much for them. We had our hands full to say the least. Neither horse would travel in a straight line. Leo was trotting sideways, veering in every direction, jigging instead of walking. He felt like he was back on the track. I was happy when my ride was over.
Day 2: Tuesday - Flat Lesson with Jane Cory
Leo was more settled for his lesson. Jane said she saw a lot of improvement since our last lesson back in November. She said it was time to progress from the slow trot to a more forward working trot. We practiced moving the trot up - working to medium and back. It takes a lot of trust on my part because I don't believe that Leo can hold it together with more power, but he did quite well. More stuff to work on!
Day 3: Wednesday - Jump lesson with Becca
Back to crazy. Leo eventually settled after 10 minutes of working on the flat. There was a ton of activity. We rode in the middle of the track, which contains a show jumping course, dressage rings, gymnastics and some xc warm up fences. From that vantage point, Leo could see everything and there was something going on every where. Three or four horses in the stadium ring, horses on xc and horse practicing dressage. When we went to jump - 4 trot poles to a cross rail, he charged it. Becca had to take away poles and then the jump. Once we had simplified to a couple of poles on the ground, she added more poles and we just practiced trotting over them. Slowly, she added jumps and things got better, but ugh - those first few attempts were ugly. We actually had 3 nice canter fences at the end.
Day 4: Thursday - XC lesson with Jane at Jumping Branch
Great time on the cross country course. We didn't do as much as I would have liked, but we're going xc schooling again tomorrow. Leo was much happier galloping and jumping and Jane was really impressed with his desire to land in the bridle and continue galloping after the fence. We even jumped a fence into water for the first time. Leo also showed his honesty when I misrode a fence and he jumped it anyways. He came back around and was brilliant the second time - was at all bothered that the first time got screwed up.
We're loving the house we've rented here in Aiken. It's so nice to spread out and relax when we get home. Tonight Jane and Gabrielle came over for dinner. This has to be the most fun I have had in months.
Day 1: Monday - Hack
Alyson, Becca and I took the horses for what was intended to be a nice hack around the property. Well, Leo and Priscilla had other ideas. They were maniacs. The big fields and activity of a large farm was a little too much for them. We had our hands full to say the least. Neither horse would travel in a straight line. Leo was trotting sideways, veering in every direction, jigging instead of walking. He felt like he was back on the track. I was happy when my ride was over.
Day 2: Tuesday - Flat Lesson with Jane Cory
Leo was more settled for his lesson. Jane said she saw a lot of improvement since our last lesson back in November. She said it was time to progress from the slow trot to a more forward working trot. We practiced moving the trot up - working to medium and back. It takes a lot of trust on my part because I don't believe that Leo can hold it together with more power, but he did quite well. More stuff to work on!
Day 3: Wednesday - Jump lesson with Becca
Back to crazy. Leo eventually settled after 10 minutes of working on the flat. There was a ton of activity. We rode in the middle of the track, which contains a show jumping course, dressage rings, gymnastics and some xc warm up fences. From that vantage point, Leo could see everything and there was something going on every where. Three or four horses in the stadium ring, horses on xc and horse practicing dressage. When we went to jump - 4 trot poles to a cross rail, he charged it. Becca had to take away poles and then the jump. Once we had simplified to a couple of poles on the ground, she added more poles and we just practiced trotting over them. Slowly, she added jumps and things got better, but ugh - those first few attempts were ugly. We actually had 3 nice canter fences at the end.
Day 4: Thursday - XC lesson with Jane at Jumping Branch
Great time on the cross country course. We didn't do as much as I would have liked, but we're going xc schooling again tomorrow. Leo was much happier galloping and jumping and Jane was really impressed with his desire to land in the bridle and continue galloping after the fence. We even jumped a fence into water for the first time. Leo also showed his honesty when I misrode a fence and he jumped it anyways. He came back around and was brilliant the second time - was at all bothered that the first time got screwed up.
We're loving the house we've rented here in Aiken. It's so nice to spread out and relax when we get home. Tonight Jane and Gabrielle came over for dinner. This has to be the most fun I have had in months.
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