Not the Lesson I was Looking For

I know bad rides and bad lessons are part of riding, but our last few lessons have been not the lessons I've wanted. Both have been at night, and while Peebs wasn't fired up like our last lesson, he was just not with it and not making things easy.

No media from the lesson so enjoy these unrelated pics from the past few weeks

Peebs was distracted and very much wanted to go back to the barn for friends and dinner. We had a couple very egg shaped circles when he tried to throw his shoulder in the direction of the gate and pretty much tuned me out.

We warmed up over a couple singles before schooling the outside line. I had told my trainer that when I has schooled it a few days earlier we kept getting 4.5 strides. It's set as a short five, but Peebs had been usually forward and I had to hold him back hard to get the five. We started going towards the gate in my lesson and the first time through Peebs zig zagged his way down. He first darted left, then right, and the five became a little long. My trainer put out a guide pole and told me to ignore his antics and ride him straight down the line. The second time was much better and an easy five so we then tried to the other direction.

Cinder showing off

The wheels really fell off the bus because this way because we had to canter past the gate and go away from home. There was much shoulder throwing and slowing down and general naughtiness from Peebs before we decided to just trot into the line. He still wanted to be crooked, but we did actually jump the first fence and continue down the line when we trotted in. We did it a few time to make sure it wasn't good luck before taking a walk break.

Please stop growing taller mare

I was pretty frustrated at the point, because we could barley get around a cross rail line and I had been jumping him higher earlier in the week. I know the witching hour and darkness probably played a part, but Peebs is normally so easy going about things it throws me when he has issues. I am glad we had the meltdown with my trainer present, because I probably would have gotten off way sooner and not pushed things without her there.

I found part of Cinder's baby tooth while I was cleaning her stall

To end the lesson my trainer wanted me to try a single fence on the diagonal that I had had trouble with schooling on my own. I hadn't been able to find a distance to it to save my life, as it was on a short approach off the turn going past the in gate. I was slightly worried that with his tantrum about going past the gate we would have more issues with it, but surprisingly we nailed on the first try. It was a little long, but I kept him straight and rode forward to the fence and saw it was going to be long instead of chucking the reins at Peebs and letting him find the distance. My trainer let me quit with that and I was happier that we at least managed to do something right.

We have another lesson on Monday, and thanks to my trainer being available earlier in the day and Daylight Savings, we won't be riding in the dark. It will still be close to dinner time, but I'm curious to see if the daylight will make a difference in Peebs.