Its the last day of 2013 and I went down to the barn to ride Jez. I went early because in the afternoon i was going to watch an evaluation of my friends OTTB Wasabi. Tina is thinking about selling Sabs and she had to work today so I was to groom her and get her ready. That meant i needed to get my riding out of the way early. Jez greeted me in the field and was happy to be lead out and up to the barn. Both her and Circe had been in all day the day before. Circe is on stall rest and Jez stayed in to keep her company. I brushed them both and tacked up Jez and took her to the arena. I love the barn early when no one is there. Its very quiet and serene with no distractions. I mounted up, no fight at the mounting block today and started to put Jez through her paces. We walked trotted and Jez was happy to be working. The peacocks were making their terrible peacock honking noise and Bossy Pants didn’t even bat an eyelash just kept working. I then made the decision to try to canter Jez.
I know that seems like no big deal, but i haven’t cantered her since i got injured. My trainer has been working with her and shes has her canter balance back and shes got her cues down pretty good. Shes been taking both leads well. (better to the left) shes also been bucking a lot into the transition and that kinda worried me so i’ve been holding off. That was until today, today i said what the fuck and asked my horse to canter. If she bucked then she bucked i was determined to ride though it. We trotted, i shortened my reins and asked for the canter and Jez complied, she didn’t buck but she did put her ears back like she was going to, ha!. Im sure my balance wasn’t the best, but she hauled me around the ring on the correct lead. Yay Jezebel! We sustained it for a whole circle then i asked her to come back down to the trot then to the walk. I figured id stop a winner. Jez took good care of me and we got that first canter since the accident out of the way. In theory my insurance should come though tomorrow (though thats been a nightmare of its own and i have yet to see a bill) I’ve been waiting until i was insured to give this a go but its the last day of 2013 and i had no more excuses it was time to suck it up and canter the damn horse.
I was pretty happy with the whole thing and i’m looking forward to regaining my balance at the canter, learning to ride though any bucking and Jezebel learning to jump. Oh yes, jump school is coming. I bought the blocks this morning, they are being shipped and should be here in a week or so. I have the poles picked out and my farm owner knows its all coming and i’ll need a place to store it all. My trainer thinks Jez is ready both mentally and physically to learn to jump. Woot. Bring it on in 2014!