So, yesterday was “proper” jumping (as opposed to dressage with a suspicious amount of jumping), but this time I was on Heddvig and I had stirrups. If not, I would probably have found myself on the ground once or twice, I don’t think I am quite ready to jump her without stirrups. Though, Heddvig did start off being a little more laid-back than usual as well as more attuned to my aids right from the start. Quite a difference from just a few months ago. She also cantered quite well during the warm-up, again showing continued progress with her transitions.
And then we moved on to the jumping. We started with the same curved line as last week, going into it at a trot, cantering in-between and landing at a canter after the second jump. Once again I found it very easy to place Heddvig just where she needed to be, as long as I have a good eye for where I am going. She’s quite responsive and, I think, quite well-balanced, even at this stage in her canter.
The second jump we did, a diagonal line over a white-and-black jump, gave her a little pause at first. Coming one way she hesitated but jumped and then when we later went the other way, we had one refusal. But the second time she sailed over. She did have issues, however, with landing in the correct canter when going to the left. To the right worked, but she’s a bit slower on her left. We tried a few times, but decided not to tax her too heavily; I was doing it right, Ulrika said, but she was not quite sorting it out yet.
Overall, though, it was a very nice experience, and I’ll definitely have to get some photos and film of her jumping, to see how its looking from the ground (both for her and me). She’s eager, agile and learning fast, not just when it comes to the jumping, and she does suit me very well. I don’t have the emotional connection to her that I had with Murphy, but at least I am starting to feel as if I am having an effect on her and that we’re starting to move forward together. I asked after the lesson if they instructors have been riding her lately to educate her further, since she’s made such progress, but no. She’s just learning from the lessons, and Ulrika said that my riding her does leave lasting effects on her each week. So, I am a bit hopeful.
Hearing something like that feels very good in several ways, because at this stage in my riding I am very much interested in improving both myself and the horses I ride. I am well past most girlish fantasies about riding competitively (unless I do win lots of money soon ;P), so just improving my own riding isn’t quite as satisfying as also improving a horse at the same time. And improving the partnership. I may be a little of a one-horse person when it comes to that aspect, which admittedly is awkward when you ride at a riding school.