Sunday mornings I wake up at 6:20 so I can leave the house by 7:00 to get to my riding lesson. Getting up that early on the weekend isn’t a hardship; I’m usually awake by 5:30 anyway. Must have something to do with falling asleep between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. every night. I’m well trained.
I always feel a bit of tension when I check into the riding school office to see which horse I’m assigned to ride. Some horses I really enjoy riding and others are harder for me. Fortunately I was assigned my favorite mount, a very cute, big chestnut gelding, who goes by Washington. I’ve probably mentioned that this stable calls all their school horses after a state.
Washington definitely has his little quirks but for the most part he’s agreeable and strong. My favorite thing about him is that he’s not lazy but doesn’t run around like a maniac either. He also yields well to the leg. He can spook at things but not terribly seriously. His one annoying habit is that he pins back his ears, like a mare, when asked to canter. Then he offers a faster trot. That’s not acceptable so if I can, I half-halt him then ask again, He trots a couple steps then canters. If I don’t have time, say I’m approaching a jump, I kick him hard with one or both heels. That always does the trick. He requests perfect positioning of the rider in the canter. If I’m leaning too far forward, he uses the excuse that I’m over his shoulders to not canter. If I sit too deeply, he pretends I’m asking him to slow down with my seat. So I ride his canter in a half-seat position, my seat is a few inches above the saddle, which is tiring to my back and legs after a while. Still, I love riding this horse. He has never refused a jump. I aim and he goes.
We jumped a series of cross-rails and oxers, which is essentially a rail level between two standards. The fences I jump are only a couple feet off the ground for the most part, maybe between two and three feet. I’m getting very comfortable jumping that height now. I don’t have to look down to make sure the horse is going to clear it (a rookie error) but look straight ahead or around to the next jump. First we trotted over poles, cantered over a cross-rail, turned right jumped an oxer, cantered around the arena to the far corner and jumped another oxer, went over the poles, jumped the cross-rail, turned left then jumped the two oxers again. That seems like a lot to remember. I’ve sat in the audience at jumping shows and was not able to figure out the sequence after watching numerous horses make the same pattern. It’s easier from the ground though, I guess. I won’t really know until I show someday.