Jump Lesson - April 7, 2007

The Happ's derby is just a couple weeks away, so I had another jump lesson after the last jump lesson's horrifyingly embarrassing fall. This time I put up baby jumps (not that many of them), but with enough twists and turns that we would work on skill, since we clearly don't need to work on height.
It was actually a very good lesson. I have to keep looking up, not down, and push him forward to each jump instead of just thinking he'll go over it (he doesn't stop, or even hesitate, he's just lazy). There's actually not that much to report that isn't the same old: sit a few steps before, give him half halts and squeeze him on, think head up, hands forward the whole way over, look where I'm going ...
There are three main exercises to do before the show: conditioning (gallop him out in the pasture - this should be interesting given he tends to spook out there and the other time I fell off of him was out in the pasture when he spooked at a bird); ground poles on the lunge line and riding (to condition him with leg lifting exercise), and practicing the dressage tests without the martingale on.
I was going to do a gallop conditioning today (since it's Sunday), but work and homework took too long and now it's raining, so I guess today will be a ground pole day.