tonitot
Well-Known Member
Yesterday I took Ethel for a group XC lesson at Keysoe with Ros Blackmore, it was the first time XC for both of us so I was a little worried as to how it might go! I needed have worried though, as she was a star 
Unfortunately, for some reason, Keysoe didn't put out their schooling jumps meaning we were limited to what we could jump as we were only doing the tiddly jumps. Ros did a great job with what was available and both Ethel and I had an enjoyable introduction to XC
We started with the warm up, we were meant to be doing lots of transitions, working on straightness, steering, brakes etc. but lots of transitions wind Ethel up so we just did some long trots and canters. Canter was a bit hairy, when I stood up and allowed her to stride on a bit she was very reluctant to come back to me and I realised I had my stirrups far too long! After a fairly long and slightly out of control canter I managed to get her back to trot and Ros asked me about my stirrups and then laughed when I said I hadn't been able to stop! Here are some pics, all taken by a friend, Montyforever/TwyfordTangle as she's known on here
My naughty habit of sticking my feet forward when cantering (I think I do it to try and help me to hold her?!) is obviously still around ...
.. if anyone has any idea how to stop this then I'd be grateful!
Some of us standing around listening to Ros ..
Onto the jumping, we started with a tiny one. Our first go didn't go so well! We approached it in trot and Ethel was a bit strong, locked onto it and had her head up trying to just zoom over it, then gawped at it and kind of skipped over it :rolleyes3: I got left behind and this is the result ...
Sorry Smef!! We went again and this time I let her fall into to canter and she jumped it lovely
We then did the same jump but a bit bigger and then moved onto a set of rails which Ethel didn't even look at, she just flew them
Then we jumped the first jump, the rails and another jump that we hadn't already been over all together, Ethel had to check there weren't monsters hiding in the grass on the landing side of the third jump ...
Then we moved off to go and practise a step. Started off with a little grass bank, we all followed one after the other and although Ethel wasn't too keen to go down it at first she did eventually get there. I had visions of her leaping off it and dropping me on my head but she literally just stepped down Then we went back up and I felt like I was going to end up sat on her bum!
We then went off the proper step, just in walk, and Ethel did it so well She just popped down it after the horse in front and jogged off at the bottom looking all proud of herself! This is my favourite picture of the lot
Coming back up wasn't so stylish! She walked towards the step, following the other horse who went straight up, then decided she didn't want to go up t and would just go up the little grass bank again instead. Turned her back towards the step and she said, "Oh okay then!" and by this point was so close to the step that she picked up one foot, put it on the step, scraped the other foot up the step and onto it and then bounced off both back feet up onto the step. Again, I felt like I was going to end up on her bum!
TBC...
Unfortunately, for some reason, Keysoe didn't put out their schooling jumps meaning we were limited to what we could jump as we were only doing the tiddly jumps. Ros did a great job with what was available and both Ethel and I had an enjoyable introduction to XC We started with the warm up, we were meant to be doing lots of transitions, working on straightness, steering, brakes etc. but lots of transitions wind Ethel up so we just did some long trots and canters. Canter was a bit hairy, when I stood up and allowed her to stride on a bit she was very reluctant to come back to me and I realised I had my stirrups far too long! After a fairly long and slightly out of control canter I managed to get her back to trot and Ros asked me about my stirrups and then laughed when I said I hadn't been able to stop! Here are some pics, all taken by a friend, Montyforever/TwyfordTangle as she's known on here
My naughty habit of sticking my feet forward when cantering (I think I do it to try and help me to hold her?!) is obviously still around ...
.. if anyone has any idea how to stop this then I'd be grateful!
Some of us standing around listening to Ros ..
Onto the jumping, we started with a tiny one. Our first go didn't go so well! We approached it in trot and Ethel was a bit strong, locked onto it and had her head up trying to just zoom over it, then gawped at it and kind of skipped over it :rolleyes3: I got left behind and this is the result ...
Sorry Smef!! We went again and this time I let her fall into to canter and she jumped it lovely
We then did the same jump but a bit bigger and then moved onto a set of rails which Ethel didn't even look at, she just flew them
Then we jumped the first jump, the rails and another jump that we hadn't already been over all together, Ethel had to check there weren't monsters hiding in the grass on the landing side of the third jump ...
Then we moved off to go and practise a step. Started off with a little grass bank, we all followed one after the other and although Ethel wasn't too keen to go down it at first she did eventually get there. I had visions of her leaping off it and dropping me on my head but she literally just stepped down
Then we went back up and I felt like I was going to end up sat on her bum!
We then went off the proper step, just in walk, and Ethel did it so well
She just popped down it after the horse in front and jogged off at the bottom looking all proud of herself! This is my favourite picture of the lot 
Coming back up wasn't so stylish! She walked towards the step, following the other horse who went straight up, then decided she didn't want to go up t and would just go up the little grass bank again instead. Turned her back towards the step and she said, "Oh okay then!" and by this point was so close to the step that she picked up one foot, put it on the step, scraped the other foot up the step and onto it and then bounced off both back feet up onto the step. Again, I felt like I was going to end up on her bum!
TBC...
