Jumping, it has the ability to thrill and to strike fear into riders, sometimes all at once!   However, if approached in a systematic and patient manner, most of the fear will dissipate allowing both you and your horse to enjoy jumping; whether it be a pop every now and then, or a trip round a course of fences weekly at a local show.

You can listen to the audio lesson over on the original blog post …

I stopped in to see Cooper first before heading out for my riding lesson. The cross ties were too high and short for him so I ground tied him to groom him a little. He was very good when I was there and as soon as I left the room and left him with my husband he started to walk away. My husband is too soft with Cooper and our dog LOL

The barn manager says that Cooper has such good ground manners, I was happy to hear that. One woman that was there says she thinks she sees Morgan in him.…

This was my last lesson at Five Star Ranch with Cooper. I have learned so much in the short time we have been riding together there. I will miss the lessons on him but it was getting too much driving there on a work night and putting gas in my truck.

I moved him to a new barn yesterday that is 15-20 minute drive from home. There are no trails but that is ok as I am not that interested anymore in doing that. I hope to be able to see him more often and not dread that long drive all the…

One person was away, so 2 of us joined in on the 7 p.m. lesson.

It was really rushed as I didn't find this out until 4:30 and still had to go home after work to change. But we made it and we were tacked up and ready to go in record time, for me anyway!!

There were 9 of us in the class. It was a little chaotic at first but close to the middle of the night everyone was working great together and hardly any collisions. I would laugh everytime Cooper would try to get real close to…

I hope to make a few more videos for each year, will take awhile as I have tons of photos and videos and trying to pick a few is sooo hard :) 

Thanks Jackie & Shirley and everyone else for all your encouraging words over the years I have been with Barnmice!! I am looking forward to growing with you all over the next years and reading your blogs and accomplishments.

My family knows that I have loved horses since I could walk & talk but some of them can't see how a horse…

Our regular coach was out of town and the barn manager gave us our lesson. There was only 2 of us in the class. Each of us worked in our own half of the arena. We walked a big circle then used our seat to whoa at the cones that were placed in the middle of the arena. After doing this several times we did it at a jog. Then moved to posting trot doing the same whoa with our seats and trying to use less and less rein.

Cooper was finally getting it a little near the end of the hour. At…

We did the serpentine exercise again from one end of the arena to the other.

This time I was also working on trying to get Coopers head lower.

Like the coach says, it's very ugly looking during training, but he was starting to lower his head near the end of the night, when I finally started to relax!!

He was moving great, well a little spooky in one corner where the skid was up against the wall.

There was actually another horse going faster than him and passing us…

Had a great lesson today. Our coach could see that we were all riding speedy horses today so we spent the lesson working on slowing down. We were to do a lot of whoa and back up, also did posting trot on the long side and sit jog on the short with circles in the corners. We learned to stay on a circle and keep our horses head and shoulders in between the reins. I was also working on getting Cooper to lower his head more and to give him more rein, to trust him more. By the end of the lesson…

We were learning to yield the hind end at a walk.

The hour was spent on one side, next time I am up will have to do the other side. Walk forward in a straight line and press our leg just behind the cinch for a count of 2. If he didn't move hind end then would pull the rein and get him to yield his hind until his hips moved over. Then walk back in the same direction you were going and start over.

He finally did a good one near the end of the hour and ended on that. Hope to do…

I wasn't certain what was going to happen today when going to get Cooper. Would he come? Would I have to get someone from the early lesson to go get him?

I was so happy this time when he came when I called. The paddock was still a mess with so much water and mud. I had a carrot in a bucket and opened the gate to let him come out of the paddock on his own. 

I didn't boot him again because his legs were wet and muddy. I tried to get off what I could but I did not want to put them…

We learned to do square corners tonight. It was hard for Cooper and myself. We were catching on but will have to practice with this one a lot. I have to learn to release and try it softer, if he doesn't get it then go back to a firmer command. We road a straight line and at the end it was a little like a turn on the haunches while trying to keep jogging and continue on in a straight line again. We did it away from the wall. Cooper would come to a walk most of the time but did do some good…

There was only 2 of us tonight in the lesson, like getting a semi-private, very nice.

My regular coach was away and one of the other lesson coaches taught us tonight. We did circle in one corner and jogged the rest of the arena. When in the corner we were to keep our horse the same distance from the cones all the way around the circle. Cooper would try to move his outside shoulder and also cut corners. We were using the 1 o'clock position from the clock work, which I knew how to do on…

First lesson of the next group of 10 but I am just going to continue numbering them as if it were in sequence.

It was after 7 by the time we got to the barn tonight. I groomed and put Coopers boots on him and took him into the round pen as the sun was going down. By the time I was done that and tacked up it was time to for the lesson. It is dark now and the earlier lesson was indoors too, I think it was too cold for them outdoors. It will soon be too dark to do round pen work and we…

We did some round pen work first and Cooper was very good.

I got my husband in the round pen to have him try to work Cooper but he wasn't assertive enough and Cooper just wanted to come in to him.

It's dark now by lesson time at 8:30 p.m. so we rode indoors.

We continued on trying to slow the jog around 3/4 of arena and 1/4 did posting trot, trying to extend and stay collected.

I was trying to relax my legs but it wasn't working tonight.

I had a stiff neck…

Can't always have good days, have to throw in some bad for variety LOL

I was going to practice Lesson 8 on Saturday but things changed. I did some ground work inside then went outside because there was a nice breeze and would be no flies. It was hot in the indoor arena. He was jittery as soon as we went outside and I should have went back inside, but I didn't. The dogs at the next door neighbour, new people, were running loose and barking.

After I got on and walked around a bit…

8th training Lesson and our 44th Ride together. I can't believe how far we have come in the 5 months we have been at Five Star Ranch!

Cooper was moving good, there were a few slips but I really think it's because he needs to build up his muscle and balance.

I had all his PC boots on again today and added the pretty blue breast collar. I also have a royal blue show saddle blanket, have to put it all on together somedayl

We rode indoors for our lesson, it's getting too…

That should not even be a question!

I’ve met many people who are fascinated by horses enough to want to ‘get’ their own horse. Often, acquaintances or people I’ve met will ask me my opinion about buying a horse – where do they start?

I run through all the typical questions with them: Why do you want a horse? Are you aware of all the aspects of horse ownership? Have you budgeted for all the upkeep costs (and we go through the breakdown – the…

I got off work early and at the barn by 5:30 p.m. for my 8:30 lesson!!

We were still getting ready by lesson time LOL.

We worked in the round pen for about 20 minutes, but first I groomed him and did some stretches on his legs.

He did great, a little stiff but much better.

I was having a hard time keeping him going slow again, he just wanted to go go go fast fast fast.

We did more circles at each end of the arena outdoors then when they others were doing…

I gave Cooper the weekend off as it seemed he was sore after a lot of hard work that he is not used to. I worked him a little in the round pen, he was a little stiff on his left rear leg. He went at a nice slow pace, kicked out a little when asked for a lope (canter) but did very well. I did some stretches on his legs and tacked him up and went for a ride. We were both relaxed and it was a very nice ride. We didn't work long, on the ground for about 15 minutes and in the saddle for 15. We…

Much, much better ride tonight during our lesson.

I got to the barn early and did some natural horsemanship ground work in the indoor arena. He is very bored with it, you can tell. I have to start doing some of the things from the next level, challenge him more. I am still doing Level 1 Parelli things with him. I am also viewing my Jonathan Field dvd's, I think I might do his method when I finally add in loping to our work with the rope hackamore, which is still a long way off. I do…