2022 Riding Journey

#38 Lots of Jumping on... Riggs

As I thought I might, I didn't have a lesson last week because of the mud.  But the weather and ground were wonderful for riding this week.

Vive and James both came to have a lesson along with me.  But instead of Vivie on Riggs and me on Mariah, we switched.  Vivie got to ride Mariah and I got to have Riggs.

I have to admit, it was nice to ride a different horse.  I am happy with the way I've learned to ride Mariah, but it is nice to be able to focus on other things.  

For my warm up, my trainer didn't say a whole lot to me.  I mounted, and immediately felt the difference between Riggs and Mariah.  Mariah is skinny, and Riggs has more 'fullness' to her, you literally feel like you have more to sit on and spread your legs around.  

And while the slightest squeeze of the legs is enough to launch Mariah into trot, Riggs was not that way at all.  I think I should have been a little more aggressive about it.  

I started out with walk and doing some circles.  Then my trainer told me to pick up a rising trot and do whatever I felt would help us later in with the jumping.  To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what would be best.  But I picked rising trot with sitting trot circles in the corners, because I felt the transitions between a faster and slower trot would make her more responsive to my leg, which we would need later.

I think I was right about this, but I could have implemented it better.  I should have been more definite about the difference between the two trots and not so tentative.  My trainer didn't comment on my choice, so I don't know what she thought of it. 

Then my trainer had us come to walk, and told me to canter her around both directions, with some circles in both directions because we were going to have to turn to the jumps and all that.  But then she noticed that my heel was more up and my leg wasn't as wrapped around as it should be.

It took a little bit for me to understand what she wanted me to do, but once I did it, I felt the difference. I'd been starting to squinch up a little.  Once I stretched my leg out and settled more fully into the saddle, I remembered what it felt like. 

Our first round of cantering to the left was terrible.  See, Riggs still has remnants of that habit she came with of putting her head down to her knees.  She was constantly putting weight in my hand, and in the canter, this was pulling me out of the saddle.  I should have lifted my hands higher while also pushing her forward with my leg.  

Also, in turning to the left, the momentum would throw me to the outside.  I realized that I needed to put more weight down in my outside seat bone to keep that from happening.  Sure enough, on the next circle that helped. 

After a short walk break, we picked up the canter to the right. This time, I did things differently.  I sat up, and pushed her forward to make her hold herself up.  Therefore, I sat the canter better.  Also, our circles were better too.  

After that, my trainer had us come over and she showed me the jumping we were going to be doing.  My trainer has set up three jumps in a 'key-hole' pattern, and it's really versatile.  It contains the bending line that Mariah and I jumped last.  Rough diagram: