Oh, WOW!

I am having such a BLAST riding Jacco.

Although the temptation is there to start riding movements (and it is a HUGE temptation), I'm being good and focusing on really learning to ride his gaits--and it is paying off. You could hear jaws thudding left and right yesterday when we were trotting around the arena in our WORKING trot because he has such expression and elegance if I don't get in his way, and I'm not in his way the majority of the time now. One of the benefits to having been stuck at First Level so long with Quila is that I did have the opportunity to really focus on my seat, and on riding those P-E-R-F-E-C-T circles. It's all paying off now with Jacco, in that I'm finding that riding those super gaits of his isn't going to be impossible for me (though I sure am glad I'm also investing all that time at the gym--I had no idea how much Jennifer must be using those abs of hers when she rides every day--she makes it look so EASY when she sits on those huge moving horses of hers, and while I think Jacco is the bees knees, I have a sneaking suspicion that his movement is still an order of magnitude less than her mounts.)

Still, Jacco is super honest and willing, very forward (haven't picked up a whip since I got him), and lovely off the leg. He WANTS to do the job, and now that we've figured out the difference between the "Dutch" aids and the "German" aids and explained it to him, he's been very quick to adapt to our system of cues and life is going smoothly. His two goals in life seem to be 1) to be told he's a good boy, and 2) to be cuddled and scratched all over. Food isn't nearly as important to him as #1 and #2, though he's not a poor eater by any means, LOL.

Susan went to LAEC to compete this weekend, but I stayed home to ride. She's pouting. "My mom got a new horse, and she loves him more than me!" she tells anybody who will listen. She isn't getting much sympathy, though. It's reported that pretty much everybody is answering her, "Well, it's about time!"