How This Goes (Jumping Lesson)

[Peter Holden]

Peter listened to the instructors explanation of what was expected of them, nodding, but expressing none of the questions he thought of. He was appreciative of Becca's question and hoped that they would be able to warm up in the ring their lesson would be in. If not, he figured that he and the other students should take turns setting up the warm up jumps for the next jumping lessons, or maybe team up into pairs to make it go faster.

When it came time, he mounted Thimble, hopping a couple of times to mount from the ground. He was only able to do this because of his own height. He managed to not look awkward with his own considerable height on Thimble, and they actually matched each other rather well. Looking over the jumps, he was assured that they wouldn't cause any problems.

When the instructor had finished speaking, he followed his classmates in warming up, trotting Thimble in both directions and then cantering, switching leads down the diagonal so he could get both directions. Thimble felt good, and certainly very strong. He just had to make sure that she wasn't able to get away from him, which had been what caused them issues at the last show.

[Deleted]

Kate listened to the new instructor's explanation of what would be expected of them in the future. It would certainly be tricky, trying to warm up before the class. They didn't exactly have a lot of time to get ready for their equine classes as it was, but it worked. This would just make things a lot more difficult for her, but she managed to keep her mouth shut.

Once instructed, Kate mounted Cailin and pat the mare on the neck before walking her out to the rail to warm up with the rest of the students. She started at the trot before walking for a bit and worked Cailin so that the mare settled in and was supple. This was the best time to get the mare comfortable. The more comfortable she was in a lesson, the better she would perform.

After trotting the mare in both directions, Kate asked her for the canter and quickly settled into the mare's stride. She could feel the power in her hind end, and the mare was certainly feeling energetic. Kate's largest concern would be getting her to focus on course, and she was already working on keeping her attention on her, rather than the other horses warming up in the ring.

[Deleted]

A little confused at the coming already warmed up, she didn't protest and just thought out some ideas of when she could fit it in. Taking another look around, she did agree with the size of the class being pretty big. Smiling at the comment Misa had made about her own horse, Belle thought about Seren and her flightiness around other horses. All the eighteen year old could hope for was that she could get the Sporthorse to concentrate on the jumps and not the other horses. As the instructor listed off the jumps, some of them would be like stepping for the long-legged crossbred. The tallest was maybe to her hip but that was about it and Seren was very used to jumping at those heights if not higher.

After she stepped up into the small saddle, Seren side-stepped and then settled into the new weight that was now on her back. Following in suit after everyone who was in front of her, she warmed up, changing her mare's gait as she worked her mare to lengthen and shorten up her steps, being sure not to get to close to the horse they were passing. Belle changed directions, leads, and gaits often to keep Seren on her toes and not be able to anticipate anything that her rider would be giving her. Although it was nice to have the mare know what she was doing, sometimes Seren had the issue of slowing to a trot five strides before she was supposed to, which wasn't good in this case.

[Deleted]

Misa explained what she expected form the students, before calling Oliver over. She nodded when he spoke. "Ok. Go on then" She said waving him off. She watched each student closely as they went over the jumps, making notes on who needed what. She was pleased for the most part of what she saw. "Deep breath Rose, Relax and so will your horse" she called out. She nodded at Becca's question. "I will have this ring set up for you. The jumps already set up." She explained. She watched Becca's horse for a moment before sighing. "Horses who do not do well with other horses, will need to have a red ribbon in their tail." She walked around the ring as she watched the students.

"I do have to say I'm pleased with what I see. There are a few mistakes, nothing to bad though" She headed toward the middle of the ring. "Everyone cross your stirrups in front of you, and trot on the rail." Once everyone was where they needed to be she moved to  fix the jumps around. "I will do my best to make the lesson fun, and help you get better." She explained to them. Misa had moved the jumps around so their was four, set from two foot to three foot. She made her way over to be walking beside Peter, moving his heel slightly back. "In order I want you to go into two point and stay at a trot and go over the jumps" She moved back out of the way. "While your doing that, does anyone have any questions for me? questions can be about pretty much anything." she asked the group, knowing they would trust her more if they knew about her.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara transitioned from a canter back to a trot when she felt Mouse relax, letting the mare's mouth control how much contact the girl took up and how much she used her legs.

As they were instructed, she kept the mare moving at a smooth trot as she dropped her stirrups and crossed them in front of the saddle, giving them a twist so that there was no chance of them falling down. If they had been at normal riding length she wouldn't have worried, but she always put them up a couple of holes for jumping. Pressing her fisted fingers against the mare's right shoulder she rubbed in a circular motion and then took up the reins again in both hands before she kept the mare's forward momentum going.

Moving into two-point, she turned the mare toward the grid of fences. "Easy girl." She breathed as something caught the mare's eye and Mouse shied to the side. Keeping her hands still, she used her outside leg to bring the mare back on course as they got closer to the first fence. She shook her head when they were asked of anyone had any questions and as they reached the first jump, she pushed her hands forward to give the mare her head and the popped easily over the fences. "Steady." She breathed as Mouse tried to snatch at the bit after the final fence, but the girl used her seat and legs to get the mare's attention on moving forward at a steady trot rather than turning into a bronc.

[Deleted]

Oliver took Casper through a smooth warm-up, checking his position in the saddle every time he thought about it - pretty much every time he changed gait. He loved the big gelding, as the horse made riding seem so easy.

When they were asked to cross their stirrups, he was suddenly thankful for the number of lessons that Ms Carr had made the novice class ride with their stirrups crossed in front of their saddles - it seemed to be a torture device of hers before she would take them on to cantering - and without a word, he slipped his feet out of the irons, one foot at a time, and crossed them in front of the pommel. Pushing his tail bone into the saddle, he directed the gelding toward the track and followed girl ahead of them on the grey mare.

His head swivelled around at the next instructions. "Jump?" His voice came out as a squeak and he coughed. "Sorry." He half-halted Casper as they turned onto the line of jumps and he moved into a two-point position, so that there was now a couple more strides between his gelding and that of the mare ahead of them. Not wanting to prove the teacher right - about him needing private lessons before jumping into the class - he put his faith into his horse, and curling his fingers around the gelding's mane as Casper bounced over the first fence. He did well until the last fence when he wasn't expecting the gelding to jump as high as he did and the boy almost got unsaddle. AS he felt himself slipping though, Oliver dropped the reins and gripping the mane as tightly as he could with the hand on the side he was slipping and slipping the other hand down so that the other arm was now wrapped around the gelding's neck, he managed to pull himself up again.

As they headed back to the track, Oliver thought about what he wanted to know about their teacher. "What inspired you to start jumping?" He asked as he steered the gelding around the arena. However, truth be told, he was sure that his gelding would have known exactly where to go if the boy hadn't been holding the reins.

[Rose Hoff]

Rose began to murmur poems, only loud enough for Eleanor to hear and moving her mouth as minimally. She spoke each syllable to each stride of Eleanor's trot.
"So much de-pends
up-on
 a red wheel-bar-row
glazed with rain wat-er
be-side the-"
She was interrupted by the sound of her name being called out. Listening to the teacher's instructions, she tried to find a way to relax more than she'd already been, but didn't have much luck. Sure, she was stiffer now that her teacher had called attention to her, and it would just be difficult to get back to how she was. If the key to getting Eleanor to relax had been relaxing one's self, Rose would have solved the problem ages ago. She wouldn't let the teacher catch any note of this though, and only bit the inside of her lip before finishing her poem.
"white chick-ens."

When instructed, Rose slid her feet from her stirrups and crossed the leathers carefully over her saddle. Jumping without stirrups certainly wouldn't give her any problems, and she just focused on keeping Eleanor calm. This was the largest of their lessons, and thus the more difficult, especially with this new teacher. When it came her turn, she sank her heels deep for the best balance and kept her legs firm, knowing that this would reassure Eleanor. Without an issue, they took each of the fences, staying at the trot the entire time.

[Ben Hall]

Ben continued to warm Lady up until the instructor began speaking again. She was quite powerful, and he focused on collecting her without her getting angry with him, like she would if he got too in her face with his hands. When asked to drop his stirrups, he did so and crossed them carefully over the pommel and asked her once again for the trot. Lady's stride was not the smoothest and she didn't make for the easiest ride without stirrups, but Ben kept his legs tight against her barrel with his heels down, and he was fine. He turned his toes in a degree to help his legs be even stiller.

When it came his turn, Ben rose into two point and guided Lady over the jumps. The mare was clearly excited to begin jumping, and took each jump a bit bigger than she needed to, though she was still quite neat about it. Had Ben not been used to this from his mare, he may have been unseated or left behind over the jumps, but he fared fine over them, except for being a tad unbalanced. He did try to think of some questions once he had finished, but could not think of any that he particularly wanted answered.

[Becca Walsh]

Becca was just about finished with her warm-up when the instructor began speaking again. She was pleased with the answer to her question, as it would make the lives of the rest of the students and her a lot easier. Now she just had to worry about getting here early enough to have time to warm Frye up properly. She guessed that the instructor's next comment was in response to Frye, who had his ears pinned back nastily, with his hind end bunched up. It was better now that they'd warmed up, but she worked him for a bit longer at the extended trot, trying to get him to loosen up as best she could.

When asked, she slowed Frye to a walk and crossed her stirrups up over the pommel. Working without stirrups had always been bearable for her when she rode Rabbit all the time, but Frye was a different story. The horse had a large, bouncy stride, especially at the trot. He had a lot of suspension in his strides, which was wonderful for their dressage phase, but not so nice when working bareback or without stirrups.

When it came her turn, she pushed herself into two-point, not enjoying the protest from her muscles, and turned Frye towards the first jump. He sprang over it, and seemed surprised when Becca asked him to keep the trot after it and through the next three jumps. He didn't seem to enjoy it, and by the time they finished and returned to the rail, he was lashing his tail in annoyance.

[Peter Holden]

Peter continued to warm Thimble up, though he kept her rather collected for the most part. When he asked her for the canter the first time, the mare leaped into it energetically, already throwing her head strongly. Peter deepened his seat and collected her back to a trot before asking again. This time she smoothly transitioned, though she was still very powerful.

When he was about done with his warm-up, the instructor began speaking again and he slowed Thimble back to a walk. The warm-up hadn't taken much of the mare's energy, and she still walked energetically along with her head bobbing without much urging. As instructed, Peter let his feet out of his stirrups and crossed them over each other. Riding without stirrups wasn't his favorite exercise, but he could bear it.

He was a bit surprised when the woman walked over to him and repositioned his foot. He hadn't noticed that there was anything wrong with it, but he adjusted his other foot to match. When it came his turn, he took Thimble over the course, keeping her at the trot, though this task was not the easiest. Once they started jumping she always got a bit high strung, but he did his best to keep her calm.

[Deleted]

Kate finished warming Cailin up and patted her mare on the neck as she returned to the walk. She had settled in nicely and Kate had high hopes that the rest of the lesson would go well. Ms. La'Van's answer to Becca's question had pleased her, as it made things easier than it could have been. Having to set up jumps and warm up in another ring would have made things very difficult for her classmates and her.

When her instructor told her to do so, she took her feet out of her stirrups and crossed her leathers over the pommel. She hadn't done much work without stirrups with Cailin. Poet was more comfortable for that, and Madeline was the best. She'd done a lot of stirrup-less work with her Fjord mare back home, and even more bareback. She missed Madeline a lot, and looked forward to riding her this summer when she went home.

Once Peter had finished with Thimble, Kate rose into two-point and rode Cailin through the small course of jumps. The mare's stride wasn't the more comfortable to work with, but she made it through decently. One unexpected long spot over the second jump caught her a bit off guard, but other than that she was fine.