Lessons with Sally Cousins

Friday, George and I took a show jumping lesson with the amazing Sally Cousins. Megan and I drove an hour and a half to Pine Grove then another hour south to Walnut Hill Farm in Manheim for a lesson with a 4* rider. It was a very long drive, but it was absolutely worth it. 

  We warmed up during the end of the previous lesson, to Sally's surprise, George the half draft had a fabulous canter, and was not as green over fences as I had made him out to be.

 Things I learned from my lesson::

1: Anticipate the possibilities. If your jump is along a wood line, your horse will run out away from it. Figure out the most likely problem and prepare for it. He's a big horse. Once he makes up his mind, you can't stop his decision. You must plan for all possibilities and hope you make the correct choice. 

2: Don't be afraid to go wide with your hands. A green horse is much easier to direct with wide hands and its easier to prevent runouts. 

         Photo credit Chelsea Larson

George getting well deserved pats for his super performance in his lesson.