Woohoo!

It's so exciting to watch Luke improve! (And me!)

I had another lesson on Tuesday. He was actually not herdbound at all, which led me to believe that he was fixed. Yay! But not...yesterday he charged my sister to try to get into his stall, and knocked her over. I wish I would have been there, but maybe it's best I wasn't. He'd have been in BIG trouble. But anyway...back to the lesson!

We walked a little to warm up, then moved into trotting. Luke immediately felt steadier than last month. He was stretching down some even. He's still not collected, but he's more relaxed, and moving like he's going somewhere. Next step is to get him off of my hands...he can carry his own darn self!

My circles still aren't really all that round...I need to seriously work on that. They are improving some though. At least we don't have the giraffe look going anymore! We did some serpentines, which were far better than they used to be! And my canter work...the right lead is falling into place! Yay! He picked it up 5 out of 6 times in a row, and the mess up was my fault. He started to rush the trot, and I got flustered, and off we went on the wrong lead. Towards the end of my lesson when we cantered again, he was tired, and so was I, and we had a little trouble getting it, but nothing like usual...it's all starting to come together!

We did a little jump, just 12" or so. He's unimpressed. He refuses to trot over it...he prefers to trot THROUGH it...so I'm going to have to find some wood poles to mix in too. Cantering it though, he made it over every time...knocked it down a few times though. Oh well...we're learning.

We're going to South Farm next month, I can't wait! I'm just going to do intro I think, but I can't wait to see if my dressage has improved! I'll be bummed if it doesn't, because he FEELS so much better! And as far as jumping...I just wanna make it around the course without knocking anything over! There's always next year to move up a level! Then Grand River's Hunter Pace is the next weekend...yay!

Goals!

Okay...I need to stop messing around and get serious about my riding. Luke was doing so well for a while, but he needs to be ridden more than twice a week. It's not that I haven't wanted to ride, I've just been unmotivated. Now that Melissa can ride again, and now that I'll have a new saddle next week, it's time to get motivated!

So I figured I'd write out my goals and my summer schedule, and update along the way! :) Good plan?

Goals
- Get out and go places without it being a huge deal.
- Go out of my way to make new places a positive experience for him - don't just throw him on the trailer and go...make sure he gets to run around at home first, and then sit and observe for a half hour or so before I tack him up and ride.
- Break 60% on a dressage test...I shouldn't even be happy with THAT for a score, but it would be progress - we've been getting mid to high 50's.
- Slow down a little on cross country - Luke loves being outside, and will trot or canter happily up to jumps, but loves to take off for a few strides on the backside. The waterford is helping a little.
- Learn to BEND - enough said!
- Accept contact a little more.
- HAVE FUN!

Summer Schedule:

June
June 6th - Dressage Clinic - it was awesome, we learned a ton!
June 27th - Dressage Schooling show - Intro Tests A & B - possibly have someone else ride him in Training 1 or 2.
June 28th - Stone Gate? (Probably not...but I am looking into the possibility)

July
July 11 - XC Schooling at Hackamore Farm - maybe
July 12 - Hackamore Farm - maybe
July 17-18 - South Farm Mini Camp!
July 19 - South Farm Mini Trial (Either Very Green or BBN!)

And hopefully XC schooling a few times

August
August 2 - Grand River Hunt
August 9 - Buckeye Horse Park/WRPC
August 23 - Bath Pony Club
August 30 - Buckeye Horse Park Hunter Pace

September
September 6 - Bath Pony Club Hunter Pace
September 13 - South Farm
September 20 - Grand River Hunter Pace OR
September 20-21 - Stone Gate Farm H.T in the Starter Div. - hey, a girl can hope!
September 27 - Stone Gate Hunter Pace (And my 21st birthday! :) )

October
October 4 - South Farm Hunter Pace
October 11 - Magnolia Waynesburg Hunter Pace
October 18 - Chagrin Valley Hunt Hunter Pace

Whew! That was exhausting to type out, let alone think about competing in all of those! I probably won't make it to all of that because it would be $$$, but those are the ones I'll be choosing from. I really hope I can do all the fall hunter paces, and am looking SO forward to mini camp!

Now...I just have to stay motivated towards these goals. I can do it!

Tomorrow - lunge work, a little flatwork and "XC Schooling" in the back pasture.