100th post! Updates..

This is officially my 100th post! yay!

Yesterday I rode at home and worked on what I did during my lesson on Monday. It is hard to remember to keep my left hand up when nobody is there reminding me. Overall, good ride. He listened, had more wait than go but he tried. I was proud of him and ended it on a good note.

"Jet! Put your ears up!!"

Today I went to Mary-Kate's house to ride (her blog is http://www.doyleskatiet.blogspot.com/!). When we were tacking up, Jet saw the horse-eatting chickens. He didn't spook but he made sure he knew where they were at all times. After we tacked up, we started off in the ring. We did a lot of walking and some trotting. Enough to get them all warmed up and ready to go. I really worked on keeping him straight, keeping his chin centered and keeping an even, slow pace.

Going straight!

Going round for a little bit

Then we  went out to her field (right next to the ring) to do some more trotting, a bit of cantering, and jumping! We set up one crossrail, a half crossrail, and she already set up a haybale jump. I did the crossrail twice in each direction and then the half crossrail three times. He was such a good boy! His ears were up the entire time and he was having fun! I didn't want to over do it so I was happy with the little we did. I got him to trot in and canter out instead of his usually trot over then stop! Yay!

Ears up, knees tucked! He was loving it!

Again, I was so proud!

Katie and Mary-Kate over the crossrail!

My awesome photgraphy skills! Over the haybale!

We then went for a ride around the cranberry bogs. We got toa  straightaway of grass and decided that Mary-Kate and Katie would gallop down first, stop halfway, then I would catch up with them on Jet. as soon as they took off, Jet got all upset and wanted to go. So we went but we had a nice slow canter going behind them! Katie then got scared that Jet was right behind her and took off! I have never seen her gallop so fast! I was waiting for them to slow down to slow Jet down and Mary-Kate was waiting for me to slow down so Katie could slow down. Neither of us knew this because I jsut thought they were galloping so I followed. We ended up going all the way down the straightaway, down a gravel path, then Marykate turned Katie into the tree and we both stopped. We walked them out and went back to her house. We set up some cones as "barrels" and practiced the pattern for the barrel race at Rehoboth Fair. I walked the course once or twice then trotted them and cantered home a few times. He is getting it more and more each time we do it. I really have to balance him around the turns and really slow him down before them to pick him up. It will get better with time. Exacly two weeks until the Rehoboth Fair! I can't wait!

-Em and Jet