Jumping lessons!

Wednesday 5 Mar:

I didn't ride last night, but watched J ride Pinto in her class. It has been a while since I've seen J ride Pinto, and even longer since I've seen her ride in a jumping lesson.

The first thing I really noticed is how much more balanced Pinto looks in canter... when he is thinking about it. Unfortunately it doesn't take long cantering around in a group before it just blows his mind and he starts rushing, gets strung out and starts stomping. Once that happens, there just isn't time in a class to let him calm down and resettle.

2nd thing I noticed was that he goes much more softly with the bit now than with the bitless bridle (which J was using last night). With the BB you can just see him bracing against the noseband as soon as things get too exciting and he starts stomping, especially in trot. I really noticed this, because it has been a long time since I've heard him stomp in the manege. In fact, very recently he has been really quiet, even on Tuesday during my sitting trot, I know he wasn't working correctly (tracking up properly) because of the slow speed we were going, but he still felt very soft and consequently he was very quiet.

3rd thing was that he is becoming a really neat little jumper ... when he is thinking about what he is doing. Towards the end of the lesson when the class had been doing the same exercise for a while (x-pole on the diagonal, change direction at x and x-pole oxer back to the same long side corner - like a 1 loop serpentine but with a jump on turning away from the long side, and another upon return) and the height of the jump wasn't going up (80cm x-pole) J let Pinto get too fast and he ends up just ploughing straight through a mess of poles Everyone just goes " ça c'est Pinto *shrug* " It's kind of embarrassing lol.

J is a very neat rider, though I'd like to polish my ego and think that Pinto goes more softly for me. But we ride in different circumstances now. J almost always rides Pinto in lessons when there is lots going on, and little time to actually think about things like 'softness' and 'working through.' I always ride Pinto by myself when all I concentrate on is how Pinto is going, experimenting here and there with rein length, amount of contact, leg position, breathing etc.

I know it is all good, Pinto is getting the best of both worlds, but I think one of the best things I ever did was stop riding Pinto in lessons