R came over after work to give me an excuse to jump. YahOoo! Much easier to do this airborne stuff with a babysitter...
We warmed up on the flat for about 15 minutes, 20 if you include the free lunge. Ransom was super light & easy-going, so the flat work was even enjoyable. Got our walk, trot, and canter in, almost entirely in two point. I sat a little of the work, but figured that'd be a nice cool down exercise.
Got the trot poles set up, four on each side, and hopped through those a few times. I think I got four to six sets done, one after the other, without a skipped set or a circle, each direction. He was super light, super steady, and responding very nice to the half halts.
Set up one X, and got down to business. I wasn't losing stirrups or losing balance, and R said shoulders were getting better. He thought my heels weren't staying down, so he stood At the X, and a bit before each time, called out "heels down." I definitely felt the difference with my heels way down, concentrating on them. Following one X leap, I left Ransom in his canter, and cantered an entire arena lap, so he doesn't get in a habit "each fence, land canter, break to trot, repeat." One fence near the end, R commented shoulders were pretty good, heels were pretty good. I hopped one or two more before calling it quits.
Total ride, about 45 minutes. I could have jumped for another hour, we were having so much fun. With the lesson Sunday, I had to leave "gas in the tank".
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