Cinder Progress Report: Our first lesson!

 I had my first real lesson on Cinder this week. Trainer A thinks she's far enough along to swap out one trainer ride for a lesson per week, so we've got our weekly lesson time set. I got no media from the first lesson, but hopefully I'll remember to ask A to take some videos.

We did about 45mins of walk trot, mainly just me getting used to her, and her to me. A is a touch shorter than I am (and I'm 5'3" so having a trainer that's shorter than me is weird) so at least Cinder is used to having a leg being on her where mine hits. But A uses her leg more effectively than me, and I'm used to riding a sluggish Peebs, so we had a couple excitable upward transitions. I just need to calibrate my leg to Cinder, and work on not nagging her with it. 

sweaty post ride selfie

 

Most of the lesson focused on my position and hands, and using them effectively. Once I was able to keep my reins short (so hard to do) and my core engaged (also very hard) we got some very nice connected trot. I can't remember to hold that position very long, and Cinder tends to get distracted and pop above the contact, but we'll get there. She also likes to over bend left, so I got lots of reminders to have a strong right leg. 

Cinder, only with people walking by the arena

 

For being about three months under saddle, she's so much farther along that I thought she would be. She didn't feel like a neon green baby, just a little green and easily distracted. But not in a spooky way; more of a "what's going on over there way", and she was always willing to get back to work with a little reminder. She never felt like being naughty, or saying no. I'm sure those days will come but for now she seems just as easy going under saddle as she is on the ground.