Just Do It

Just do it's been my theme for the past month. That and "long, active legs". I don't know what it's coming from but I've been more motivated (for the most part), more confident, and more committed to getting baby McKenna trained.

Bam!

We had a dessage lesson with TS and that's where the long, active leg came from. McKenna loves to hang on my right rein and blow off my right leg. I got dinged in the lesson for holding too much with the right rein (hence why she loves to lean on it, funny how that works) and being too nice with my right leg. I wasn't supposed to completely drop my right rein, just give and release every few strides. Once I got the more right leg thing into my head McKenna seemed to really respond just need to make sure my heel is down when I'm getting after her. Still working on the whole holding too much with that rein though. 

We've only had one jump lesson lately, and while it poured rain and we were forced inside, it actually was a pretty damn nice lesson. I had set up a baby grid a few days before the lesson, a cross rail one stride to a pole one stride to another pole and taken McKenna thru it. While she got a big rushy she handled it well. 

For the lesson trainer set a one stride starting with two cross rails. McKenna decided that the baby grid was super exciting and we didn't have brakes coming out. She got run into the wall a time or two to remember how to stop after the fence but as soon as trainer raised the second fence to a vertical she was much more calm and relaxed coming out. 

Trainer kept raising the second fence and then made it an oxer (McKenna's first under saddle!) and then raised it more. We ended up with a solid 2'9" oxer coming out. McKenna did rub it, but considering it was at the end of the lesson and she's never jumped that high or an oxer under saddle before I was super thrilled with her. She never once hesitated thru the grid, jumped everything easily, and once the fence went up she was quiet and manageable on the off side. Almost makes me want to rethink selling her.