Stella's 'Jumping' Lessons.

On Thursday, (the 12th) my mom, (Laura Ison) told me that she wanted me to go to a Jumping show at *Myhio Haven. I only had ten days to practise, and having never jumped myself, or with Stella, I was deffinately worried. On the 13th I jumped Stella for the first time, at only 12' high. I was really nervous at the begining, and Stella was being a grump through our warm-up. I practise English Equatation, so I have the proper saddle. When I took her over the first jump, it felt like I was flying. Of course, we were just barely of the ground.(: Stella fought with me to go to the gate, but she gave in and we did a circle to line up with another jump. I was concentrating on keeping balance, and keeping Stella towards the center of the jump, and I forgot my fear of jumping. Stella wasn't really 'jumping' with her back legs, so I moved the jump up to 15' high, or rather, short. The next day we went out to the arena, again, for some more practise. I moved one jump to an 18' inch standard rail. I didn't notice any difference from the 15', and the 18'. My mom watched for some time, and told me that Stella still wasn't jumping with her back legs. Today, when we were warming-up I was in lala land when she was cantering. She pulled to the side and jumped the 18' rail with out my telling her to. I lost balance, but she had a smooth feeling to it! I got brave and moved the 15' to 21'. Almost two feet. The difference between the 15' and 21' is a BIG difference by look, and by jump. I only have two jumps set up so far, at 18' and 21'. After I bumped up the jump, I was to chicken to jump it the first time around. I pulled Stella around it and we jumped the next one. The seconed time around, my boot fell out of the sturrip so I swerved her away at the last seconed. I grabbed my sturrip, and went for the next jump, again. Stella slipped when we jumped, and knocked the pole down. I kept her going, and made her jump the 21' standard. I could notice a MAJOR difference. Luckily, I was in what my mom calls a 'three point', so it was very smooth and clean. I walked her out after that jump. She made an actual attempt to actually jump! I looked at our tracks, and we jumped a total of 12 times today. It rained yesterday so the ground was a little damp. Nothing to make a fit about. I used the mud to follow my turns from one jump to another. We played around some, and cut off distance from the two jumps. Stella enjoys jumping!

Tonight, my sister, (Josalynn Dennis) is going to go jump withh me. My mom is going to help us set up some more jumps, all different. We are going to have a pattern, go for speed, and practise for the show. Josalynn is going to ride Lady, her Paint mare, and they are alot better at jumping than me, but then again, they have been jumping together for over a year. I am very excited for the show now that I am 'officially' over my fear of jumping! We are going to take pictures, so I will post them later.