All I ever wanted

The title explains Mystic in 4 words :) We had a GREAT clinic today with Karen O'Neal out at Inavale Farms. It was an hour and a half jump lesson with 3 other people who all were jumping about the same height as Mystic and I (very little :) ) even though all their horses have way more experience that Mystic does. All three of the other horses have a one point competed in recognized 3 days events, one even competed at training level with its previous owner. Needless to say he was the green bean for sure but it didnt show!
After talking to Karen about our horses/our experience and what goals we hope to accomplish, etc we started on the rail at the walk. Every 10 steps or so we would make a 10 meter circle making sure our horse had good inside bend and was really moving off our legs. After doing that each way we started doing the same thing at the trot except sitting the trot on our 10 meter circles. Mystic and I got many compliment from Karen on our solid walk/trot work and my position. After we worked at the trot for a little we moved up to the canter. Every one started in a different corner where we circled a 20 meter circle then went straight (in two point) to the next corner where we would do another circle, down the straight side to the next corner, etc. After our horses were warmed up at the w/t/c we started working on our position... our two point position! Yeah I can tell I havent been jumping. We did a LOT of it. Two point at the walk, and trot, and canter, and even staying in two point through transitions. All stuff I have done before but not recently! My legs are like rubber now! Mystic was very good for it all. She noted how balanced and nice all his gaits are and that he definitely needs to be in the show ring!
After basically making my legs useless we started jumping haha! We started with a small cross rail with a pole on either side. I knew he would have a little trouble with this since we havent done it at all and he still is figuring out where his legs go but he did really well considering. We worked on how to get the correct lead after a fence and how to properly set your horse up. I really liked her exercises because it really made our horses and us work as a team. If one member wasnt all in it there was no way you were going to accomplish the task. They were all or nothing exercises. Your horse has to be listening to your aids and you have to be properly telling them where to go. Then we moved on to 4 cross rails set off track from each other. There was the first fence, then to the left the next fence was one fence to the side, after that the next fence was one fence to the right and so on. We really had to be telling our horses where to go next as you were going over the first fence and your horse had to be adjustable in their speed and had to be moving off your leg. If not? There was NO WAY you would make it through. Thats how tight it was. All 3 of the horses horses had issue in rushing after the first couple and not making the last one or two. Mystic was super good and even though to a couple I didnt always give him the best angle he still jumped them. He is super forgiving and the only time he ran out was in another bending line (super bendy line!) where I just totally screwed him over and the fences were on the bigger side of what he has jumped. The second time through that course he nailed it though, clearly just because I rode him better to it. We also did our first baby oxer! And he didnt even bat an eye at it! He was the only one in our group who got to do the line with the oxer. We started at a cross rail in the middle of the arena and went around to our fun 4 fence bendy lines the to a vertical on the other long sides rail, to a vertical in the center of arena back out to a vertical on the rail (the equivalent to the one loop in training level dressage test) then down the center line to a cavaleti, once stride, to our cute little oxer, two strides to a vertical. He did it perfectly! His distances to the fences, his adjustablility, everything! I am SO happy with him and our progress. We talked about her coming back over to do another one over the winter or in the spring and we will totally be there if she comes back! This lesson just makes me even more excited for show season! I cannot wait!

It was muddy...

Very, very dirty!

We even got butt speckles!

Tired pony!