Lesson with Boomer Feb 2

Well. Quite a long time since I last blogged. So let me catch up to speed:
I have been continuing treatment for my thyroid and working on recovery and getting healthy. I have continued with school and after I finish out this semester, I only have one more to complete before heading off to nursing school! (YAY!) I recieved my year end awards competing with  Josephine. We were tied for 3rd place in the schooling jumpers (the tie being with one of my bestest friends!) and also won a champion in puddle jumpers- something I never thought was going to happen! And have also decided to try out 3 day eventing. Though for now, I shall be exclusively riding dressage in order to facilitate focusing on school.

Receiving my Champion and cooler

Hillary and I with our tie ribbons!

Receiving my third place

I was lucky enough to have my first lesson with him since early November last weekend (I know I am late writing the blog on it but sue me). And even more exciting than that, my dear friend Hillary came and was able to take some pictures for me :)

We are gearing up to compete in our first dressage show this coming weekend. We will be competing in Training Level Test 3 as well as First Level Test 1 on February 16th, at our home barn's TDC schooling show. We worked a lot on extensions and working on not having him break in to the canter for the two trot extensions. That has been probably our biggest "flaw" in preparing for this show. Cathy has been helping me get him really engaged so he just pushes off with his back end and then just really extends beautifully. When I get it right, it is just the coolest feeling in the world! His canter extension is so comfortable, too! As well as extensions, we have been working on the accuracy of riding through the tests, and I feel like it is getting a lot better! I am still figuring out my 15m circles, but I definitely feel like they are getting there! After not riding for a few weeks, I felt like I had lost a lot of balance- especially through his bouncy trot- but I feel I am slowly gaining it back and was able to drop my stirrups back down to where they were before taking a short break!

We have also been starting to school over poles! All of our poles are out in our little "field," and I just love riding him out there. It makes me feel "free" as cheesy as that sounds. It is always nice to ride outside the confines of an arena (nice for the ponies too!), and its fun just to be able to get up in a half seat and canter around. He has been AWESOME with the poles too! I know his owner has jumped him before and he has been started over fences, but he is so smooth and so smart! What a cool little horse. I am hoping/planning on beginning to jump with him very soon (hoping for right after our show Feb. 16!). I have been learning so so much just riding him on my own even. He responds so well to body it is easy to tell when I am doing it "right," or a facsimile of riding correctly!

Here are some photos of our last lesson, all owned by H. Whitt Photography:

working on our canter extension

trot extension across the diagonal!

Canter extension

Finally getting better on the trot extension!

I have another lesson this Saturday in order to prepare for the show next week, and my wonderful friend Renee is supposed to be attending and said she would snap some photos so look forward to those everyone :) And until then, carry on!