Lots to report!

Tues 13th

1st Marie lesson of the winter. Magic in his snaffle, not jumped since July! Me in saddle not jumped in.... we had brakes! He didn't tow me in (although he towed me away a little bit and cut corners to avoid the "padded cell" walls. He stopped at the poles on the ground first time around :sigh: but I have accepted that is him, and if I punish him for being him then I just make him super tense.

My mission from now on is to have him CALM enough to want to jump things he's scared of, not more scared of me than them! Might be a challenge but we can all have goals :-)

He jumped really well and I felt loads more confident in my stronger position and in him not running out from under me. Think he was fairly calm. He certainly schmoozed his way straight back in with Marie, and spent the others turns standing resting his chin on her shoulder and whispering into her ear. She thinks he's a god. Who doesn't?

She actually thought I'd swapped him for another as he warmed up so well and calmly and politely. No yob to be seen. I did say that's all we've been working on for the last 3 months!

Dan came too, and something in the EMRT has released for sure, cos he now REALLY jumps!

P did a grand job, esp as she was having to come to the jumps from a little trot, then Dan was pinging some mighty using-his-back jumps! :-)

Very good session. Best learning was that I still zone out. Marie was trying to get me to have control from landing, so I started to say land when landing, which helped. Her best point was that he still lifts his head as we get away - but she twigged it was ME trying to stop him, so she said put hands in mane and block him to collect him, and it worked!!! Yippeee :-))

Friday 16th

Magic hacked a few days, Max hacked Thurs and then I schooled him Fri. We did at least half an hour, and put him in straight myler rather than his combo. He prefers being ridden off the nose than off the mouth... we had quite a lot of resistance to start, but then suddenly, from somewhere we got real softness and stretch and using back in trot AND canter. Never had the like in either, but never suspected we'd get it in canter. Very very pleased with him.

He felt like a real horse.... and a real horse that could do dressage too. I had to think shear boards to stop him falling in, and it worked, but its a damn sight harder in a field on the side of a hill!

Saturday 17th

Dan and Magic went jumpies :-)

I had snaffle and new-to-jumpies-saddle.... And we barely had time to canter round and jump warm up twice before we were in. Not the best, calming prep, but hey. Jumps were teeny.

We went in, he jumped one and two, then 3 was a squiffy blue plank with clouds. Aaarrggghh. Cue major Magic panic, stop dead, stare hard, then jump from stand still (thank goodness for teeny fences). I slid and slided around (new saddle not grippy like old one, boo). And nearl left through side door. Tres embarrassing! Had to turn circle cos if I'd have faced him at a jump I'd have fallen off as he took it on! Got organised, and jumped the rest nicely... not calmly, but CONTROLLED! And not panicked "where's the next".

Came out rueful. What didn't I do? I didn't push up to the plate. I have a paradox of sling back PLUS push up to the plate, and I DO need to do both when jumping. Plus I have to keep foot light but pushed into a resistance, so he doesn't "jump my legs" out the back door!

Wandered round whilst Dan had his go... clear first round and came 4th after jump off. I couldn't see as they were indoors, but P said he was very very tense, but was better for jump off.

He'd been acting the goat as had decided he was glued to Magic. Sigh. Still, a good result.

Next class, I have time to warm up and remember I didn't say "land" once in there! Tried to do it jumping practice fence and its seriously HARD. Managed it once. I put all my brain into take off, and then zone out, tres frustrating. So need to do as Auntie Marie said, and do small fences that I don't NEED to sort take off for until I can focus on landing. Very good advice, again!

In we go, he seemed a bit backwards going towards the indoor, but was fine once in, and jumped a lovely round, controlled, except ballooned number 3 ( - it bites you know!) and then I had to let him bowl on to 4. But then got him back beautifully on the corner.... almost like "oh you want me to go steady, why didn't you just say before?)... like now he "gets it" when I asked him to steady, whereas before my body was obviously still saying "go" whilst hands said "stop". Amazing difference in him.

Back in for jump off, didn't go fast, but let him bowl on when on good stride and tested brakes again round turns. Best round he's ever done in terms of us being together and understanding each other. I am sooo sooooo happy. I never expected this to help our jumpies.... but it soooo has. :-)))

Dan went in and was MORE tense, if that's possible, so knocked 2 out.

We have to just accept he hasn't had a party since July, and he was a bit Magic obsessed!

Flat RC lesson on Tues, then dressage on Sat, so hopefully Dan will have calmed by then. Think P might tear her hair out with "flick the switch" brained TBs otherwise!!

Love love love my pony. Am so pleased I'm finally working out how to ride him, 5 years and counting, eh?! :-))