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# Lisa's Blog post # 47
- URL: https://www.myvirtualeventingcoach.com/lisas-blog-47/
- Published: 2012-02-02T02:26:00.000Z
- Updated: 2012-02-02T02:26:03.000Z
- Author: Administrator
- Tags: ~Lisa's Corner~, #Import 2026-01-20 00:55

We are right on the verge of a major break through – I can just taste it! Since my lesson with Lesley about 3 weeks ago where I finally got the “round *and* connected” thing down, I have been working on jumping again. We actually haven’t jumped since *October*!!   
  
That’s probably not the best way to train for an event but I tend to be very narrow minded when it comes to my goals – let’s just say I’m *focused,* or *methodical –* and I get kind of obsessed with finding the solution to the problem at hand.  
  
Anyway, here is the list of “issues” I will need to deal with before I can enter a stadium competition.

Cotton:

\- Bulges out on the turns – both directions

\- Falls in on the turns – both directions

\- Swaps leads

\- Cross-canters

\- Swaps leads and darts in the direction of the new lead without warning

\- Anticipates where we are going and goes there (he’s always wrong)

\- Lands on his forehand after his jumps

\- Drifts to the right after his jumps

\- Gets excited and fast

Me:

\- Don’t recall ever jumping a horse with any of the above issues - much less *all* of them!

\- Tend to jump ahead of the horse

\- Rusty from not jumping a full stadium course in about 2 years

\- Give abrupt aids rather than use finesse and flow – big no-no on Cotton

\- Tend to zone out instead of riding every stride – another big no-no  
  
  
So, with a list like that, “*why* do I think I’m on the verge of a major break through”, you ask?   
  
Well, today we practiced our turns over the flower boxes and we did pretty well! He was a mess out in the field yesterday and I couldn’t get him to round the corner closest to the barn to save my life. On the way home I remembered some of Lesley’s wise words so we re-loaded today and got it done. It’s all about squaring our corners. Turns out I should have popped him on the outside shoulder yesterday because he was being a barn sour stinker!  
  
Also, I can handle it when he falls in most of the time – a quick position adjustment on my part prevents that or fixes it within a stride or two. Steering with my seat and leg through the tunnel helps alleviate his anticipating where we’re going. Landing on his forehand requires more leg. I know how to fix drifting.   
  
Lesley said not to let his swapping and hopping bother me too much – but the one thing I do need to learn next is what to do when he swaps and *darts*. If he wants to counter canter around a turn that’s one thing but if he darts off course…well, that just won’t do. I also need Lesley to teach me how to ride him in the air over the jump rather than take a break and resume my job a couple of strides after he lands.  
  
Don’t get me wrong – we still have *tons* of work to do! And our first course will probably not be very pretty. But I think I have a good idea of what needs to be done now and the puzzle pieces are starting to reveal the picture that’s on the box top – it’s me and Cotton at our first event!