We started with some flat work to warm up. We worked on bending, circles, and shortening and lengthening the trot. Then we did a little canter, starting on the left lead on a circle and Cupid got the correct lead. After a few laps, sitting on the short sides and in two point with a little inside bend and lengthening on the long sides, we cut across the middle of the arena and did a simple change. Cupid seems to have figured this exercise out, as soon as I asked him to trot in the middle he anticipated the direction and lead change so I barely had to ask!
Then we started with a little cross rail, with a pole on the ground one trot stride out. We trotted in and the pole helped us get a good distance, and allowed me to focus more on my position - supporting Cupid with my leg and not getting ahead. Then we added another pole another step in front, and then a third plus a rail on the landing side. The landing rail threw Cupid off the first time, but he quickly figured out how to navigate it. We went around in circles, first on the left rein then the right. He was being perfect, relaxed in the approach and landing softly and coming back down to a trot.
After doing the cross rail several times each direction we went to two jumps (a crossrail and vertical) that my trainer said were 3 long strides apart, that we should trot into and do in 4. Cupid was perfect! After going through it twice my trainer put the crossrail up a little, making it a deeper X which she said would help Cupid with his form. Since Cupid was behaving so well I was able to relax myself and actually have fun. I was very happy with Cupid, and also proud of myself because I was able to land and get myself organized a lot better then I usually do. I still got a little too forward and up Cupid's neck in some of my approaches but overall I think I did pretty good!
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