Back to it!!!

Well it has been a while since I posted again time flies when your having fun....Or really busy...Since I last posted my mom and I went to the World Equestrian Games (WEG's) and we had an amazing time. It was awesome to see such great talent and the countries that backed these wonderful riders. I got to see some of my all time favorite eventers like Mark Todd, Pippa Funnell, William Fox Pitt and Mary King. These are riders that I grew up idolizing and to see them up close and personal was an amazing experience and one I will not soon forget. We also did get to see the free style reining which was really great too boy those reiners can move. It still amazes me that neither horse nor rider gets dizzy while spinning... I've come back with a renewed love of the sport of eventing and my drive has become much stronger.

So now back to the real world. Since I've had so many work trips out of town and the WEG's I missed riding for about 2 1/2 weeks but after I got back we really hit it...

I had my first jumping lesson in about 2 1/2 yrs two weeks ago and it felt amazing. It is so true that the body never forgets. We only did ground poles and then popped over a single fence with ground poles but it was just to get Kiz and I working together and my feeling back. Since then I have been having a jump lesson about once a week. Since Kiz is young and we don't want to over jump her a lot of the lessons are over ground poles and very small X's or verticles. The idea is to get my position back to where it should be and our confidence level up with jumping and with each other.

I had a group lesson last Sunday with a few friends of mine and we worked on distances, balance and our positions. It was tough Suzy gives a great lesson and really makes you work. I realized at that point that I need to work out and do strength training if I am going to ride like I want to. We did a bunch of work in galloping position and my position is weak to say the least. Kiz was awesome in the lesson and was so flexible. If I asked to move forward she did and if I needed to collect and shorten she did I was so proud.

So now I will be riding 3 times a week with one jumping lesson and I am really going to work on my fitness at home too. This will make it more fair for both Kiz and myself. She is still a bit spooky but it seems to be when she is not being asked to work or she is being asked incorrectly by me. When I am focused and working her correctly she is not spooky. Plus she is 4 and still has a baby brain...

Her flat work is coming along nicely too especially her canter. She is really good when she is moving straight and on the aids but she has a tendency to throw her hips and shoulders out when ever she feels weak at something or if she doesn't quit understand. I have to learn to be quicker at responding to that and getting her back to being straight because like I said before if she is squirrely and not straight that is when she spooks. My aids have to be soft and clear with her so that I don't confuse her or make her heavy in the hand. I am learning to do half halts correctly though and that has been something that eluded me for many years.

All and all we she is coming along great and I am having a blast...Isn't that the real reason for all of this:)