Kristin Schmolze Clinic

Today Fleck and I got up early and picked up a friend at Ashland and headed over to Coyote Creek for a lesson with Kristin Schmolze. I'm so glad we went! She was very helpful. It was super hot and muggy and poor Flecky was a bit tired I think. But he manned up and was a good boy. We started with a grid. We did two cross rails in a bounce and then two oxers in one strides, eventually finishing doing it backwards. It was fun. Kristin told me that I needed to supple Fleck more prior to the fences. To do that I had to bend him around my inside leg and push him into my outside rein. And then for me, I needed to fold at my hips more. She said I was good with keeping my shoulders upright but that if I folded more through my hips I would make it easier for Fleck to use his neck and body. I tried and wasn't really successful at doing it right I guess. It felt a little too flingy and I lost my lower leg. But then the next time around I figured out how to fold a little more without throwing myself at him. So then we did a little mini course and went to work on the corner. It was a little frantic and desperate at first. Kristin explained that I was letting him get long and flat. (shocking.. haven't heard that one before! hee hee). But she also suggested that I ride a little closer to the inside corner so he doesn't have to jump quite as wide and that to do that, I swing a little wider out. It helped a lot. And we got much less frantic! Whoo hoo.

So we finished with another course and it was okay, but not great. I did feel a difference with me bending more at the hips but I wanted to instill it in. And I'm so glad we did. Cause it was AWESOME! We nailed it, even the corner! And I bent more at the hips, which this time... pushed my seat back a bit more, which made my legs more secure, and Fleck jumped like a beast! It was great. I really think that it will make my struggle to keep my lower leg under me better. And because my seat was back, I didn't feel tipped or insecure. WHOO HOOO.

I'm so excited to jump again and make sure I can maintain that. But poor Flecky.. he's been a jumping bean! Luckily he gets dressage tomorrow, then jumping again Tuesday. ;) Poor kiddo... I will give him a ton of cookies and ice :)