I've started working out at my barn for the summer, which is amazing. I'll be doing everything from first aid to helping beginners tack up to schooling naughty ponies.
Yesterday my trainer gave me the opportunity to ride Gunner. Gunner is...amazing. He's a 7 yr old warmblood of sorts, imported from Canada, and an extremely talented jumper [I've seen him do a 4'6" oxar w/a 6' spread like it was nothing].
I kind of assumed when I got on that I'd be just flatting him, since I wasn't in a lesson or anything. I first just have to say that he was AMAZING to ride - I think my leg position was the best it's ever been on him and his canter was soooo smooth I didn't want to tip back at all!
But anyways. She asked if I wanted to pop him over a few little fences, so I agreed. I thought I was gonna fall off over the first jump, his jump was so big and round and float-y, haha. It seriously felt like we went straight up and then just kinda floated over the jump, lol. He was good, though. I thought it'd just be a few little 2ft jumps, but she kept adding poles! We got up to 3' before I started overthinking it and we had an awkward distance [but Gunner leapt for it, saving me haha]. It was a really, really good ride though! I was able to work on pushing him into the bridle and using my outside rein on the flat, which was nice. I think jumping him was a bit of a confidence booster for me, which was needed a little bit. Y'know...I've been having so many bad lessons on Frenchie and then I had a frustrating ride on this STB we're retraining....it was nice to actually be successful for once! Plus, Gunner is NOT an easy horse to ride [almost everyone I know who's ridden him has fallen off at some point] so...it was just cool.
I was riding during a lesson when this happened [I jumped once they were cooling out] and it was these two little girls who were doing w/t and a little canter...I think I blew their minds a little bit, lmfao. One of the moms came up to me after and told me how cool it was to see me ride around on Gun and mentioned how big the jumps were I felt special, hehe.
Anyways. Here is Gunner
I posted a video of him and my trainer a few months ago when I was asking about the correct canter seat...but here it is again
[if I can ride 1/2 as well as my trainer some day, I will be happy]
Yesterday my trainer gave me the opportunity to ride Gunner. Gunner is...amazing. He's a 7 yr old warmblood of sorts, imported from Canada, and an extremely talented jumper [I've seen him do a 4'6" oxar w/a 6' spread like it was nothing].
I kind of assumed when I got on that I'd be just flatting him, since I wasn't in a lesson or anything. I first just have to say that he was AMAZING to ride - I think my leg position was the best it's ever been on him and his canter was soooo smooth I didn't want to tip back at all!
But anyways. She asked if I wanted to pop him over a few little fences, so I agreed. I thought I was gonna fall off over the first jump, his jump was so big and round and float-y, haha. It seriously felt like we went straight up and then just kinda floated over the jump, lol. He was good, though. I thought it'd just be a few little 2ft jumps, but she kept adding poles! We got up to 3' before I started overthinking it and we had an awkward distance [but Gunner leapt for it, saving me haha]. It was a really, really good ride though! I was able to work on pushing him into the bridle and using my outside rein on the flat, which was nice. I think jumping him was a bit of a confidence booster for me, which was needed a little bit. Y'know...I've been having so many bad lessons on Frenchie and then I had a frustrating ride on this STB we're retraining....it was nice to actually be successful for once! Plus, Gunner is NOT an easy horse to ride [almost everyone I know who's ridden him has fallen off at some point] so...it was just cool.
I was riding during a lesson when this happened [I jumped once they were cooling out] and it was these two little girls who were doing w/t and a little canter...I think I blew their minds a little bit, lmfao. One of the moms came up to me after and told me how cool it was to see me ride around on Gun and mentioned how big the jumps were I felt special, hehe.
Anyways. Here is Gunner
I posted a video of him and my trainer a few months ago when I was asking about the correct canter seat...but here it is again
[if I can ride 1/2 as well as my trainer some day, I will be happy]