Our first canter

July 20, 2010

Today in my lesson I did different things including figure-8-ing jumps and doing different courses. Our main course that we did was where we would canter in the beginning, trot over a couple jumps, pick up a pole that was sticking out of a barrel and ride over with it to a different barrel and stick it in the barrel. Then we would go over more jumps and then halt next to our red mounting block. 

Maybe that doesn't sound like much to you but it was really fun for me and the other girls in my lesson. I liked it the most because it was the first real time I actually cantered on purpose. For me, Blossom's canter feels long and not rocking but smooth and clear to see what lead you are on. A lead is which side the horse is cantering on, so whichever leg is out front and always staying out front. So it was easy to tell that she was on the inside lead (you should always be on the inside lead).

And the canter also felt like a real mustang canter, not like a little show pony canter. It felt like another horse at the stable's canter---Dusty, who is also a mustang. The hard part is I don't know how to explain how it looks ('cause I didn't see it). She was very good the whole lesson but especially when I picked up the pole and when I cantered. I think those two actions were the highlights of my lesson. Also today when I was going to get Blossom from the pasture she trotted towards me. It made me feel like she really trusted me and loved me because also during the lesson my trainer pointed out to me after I moved the pole how much she trusted me.