Lesson recap - to happier times

Ill be back tracking the next few posts and posting an update after the vet this afternoon...so bear with me since my timeline will be a bit off.

Sad Tillie getting iced yesterday evening

Anyway, the day before Tillie turned up lame, we went to our usual Saturday jump lesson with P. We self loaded on AND off no issues (sans whip) and no crooked issues either! I was a bit nervous for this lesson simply because P suggested we try going back in our snaffle. Not nervous in a bad way, just a bit nervous that she wouldnt be as quiet I guess...

She was a bit heavier at times, BUT she was a star...even with the mucky wet ring. Which is why I am freaking out if she now has a soft tissue injury from going in this ring. But I have watched and rewatched and never once see her put a foot wrong (Which i know doesnt mean it didnt happen...)

big fancy trot!

She only had ONE sass moment when she lost her balance in the mud, but it made me crack up and yell -"There it is!!" But she warmed up lovely and P had me work on riding the outside aids a bit more so I wouldnt lose her shoulder. In the muck, she kept throwing her shoulders around every which way so P had me think riding her straighter and that seemed to solve that.

Tillies game face - Get some!!!

I felt like this lesson she was really starting to jump better/more correctly with her form. There were some jumps that felt like a "wooosh!" and P even said "Weeee" after one of them!! :) I fret over her form a lot so its nice to see week over week she is starting to stretch and use those shoulders better.

She even started getting lead changes without losing her mind!

See!!! we can stretch over fences! 

Ill admit I was a bit disappointed with watching the videos with my release and seeing I still had her a bit tucked in at times...but Emma so kindly pointed out that she was taking much longer distances which naturally will make a rider more defensive. So **pending Tillie's soundness** will be what I try to focus on next.

See...holding her too tightly not allowing to stretch - but holy moly did she over jump this one!

 I have really let how nice this lesson went fall victim to blaming it for Tillies injury which isnt fair...who knows what it is, how bad it is or even when she did it (could have been here, the trailer ride home, that night in the field or that afternoon) I only fret it was from here because I noticed her cocking her right hind when we finished when we were standing around and at the trailer...but that next morning when I gave her depo didnt see any swelling at all. I would think by then I would have...

See - standing with that leg cocked.

Anyway, its horses...and I wont know until I see the vet today. Until then, here is the mash up from the lesson: