Today I was having a jumping lesson on Katrina with Richard Thompson. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect because both Katrina and Shadow had been off work for almost 4 weeks so she hadn't seen a jump since the last lesson which was over a month ago, and things didn't exactly go to plan back then! Still I was very excited.
Kelsea was with us on Saffy again and to begin with I just let Katrina walk round the arena allowing her to have a look at the fences and the random fillers that were just lying in the middle of the school. I thought at first that it was worrying that so many thing were lying about, but then thinking about it, I realised that it would help get Katrina used to random things and to pay no attention, she did look at them a little but not too much this time.
As soon as we started to trot though, Katrina seemed to focus on the poles that Richard had set in a circle so Kelsea and I could go round and over them in trot. Katrina was so cute,because at first she thought she had to jump the trotting poles and kept leaping in the air over them, but eventually figured out you could just step over. Then Richard asked us to circle the other way and she was so funny because Katrina thought she had to jump the poles going that way too!!! She is so adorable!!! I love how hard she always tries. Eventually she was trotting happily over the poles on the floor on both reins and felt like she was enjoying herself, I was, she was making me smile, and the good news was she hadn't stopped or hesitated at them at all
When the real jumps were put up, Kelsea and Saffy went first because I wanted to see what to do first as I hadn't watched the earlier lessons. Kelsea and Saffy flew over the jumps effortlessly and I thought, come on Katrina we can do this too!!! As Katrina trotted up to the first fence I just kept on murmuring encouragements to her, and she FLEW IT!!! She did what felt like a massive jump, it was amazing and when we landed I couldn't stop grinning!!! This was only the second time she'd seen a course of fences with a rider and she was such a good girl, I was so happy and Katrina felt like she was smiling too.
Richard soon set up an exercise for us that consisted of two fences which you had to jump in a circle and try to maintan an even rhythm. Katrina barely looked at the fences, she trotted into each one with a smile on her face and as we went round gradually started to find her rhythm, soon she went from trotting into each one to cantering round between each and just popping them on both reins. She got mixed up and unbalanced a couple of times, and I just tried to sit quietly to let her sort herself out but still asking her to keep going forward. She was a complete STAR and didn't hesitate at all, even when Richard was a bit cheeky and built a spread when my back was turned, She'd never seen one before and as we came round towards it I thought it looked huge for Katrina and I just thought kick on and ask her to do it for me. Well!!! What can I say? I think my horse loves jumping because she just leaped it with air to spare, it felt amazing. Her first spread and it was great!!!
I'm one proud mummy tonight, Katrina didn't stop once in the whole lesson. All too soon it was over. When Richard opened the gate and made to talk to the mums, I actually asked if we were finished already!!! As mum, Katrina and I walked to towards the stables I felt really overwhelmed and emotional. I'm so lucky to have this amazing horse and I love her so much, I turned to mum and said "Am I shining mum? I feel like I'm shining." I really did feel all glowing.
Thank you to my lovely sponsors The Emporium at Wentworth who supply my transport, and Stone House Solutions for my training bursary, you help make this possible. Thanks to mum for being you, Richard for the amazing lesson xxxxxxxx xoxo