Thanks everyone for bearing with me while I recap the last few months. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you've seen some of the photos in this post, but they are worthy of a real write up to reflect on a few things.
 |
| I'm just going to put this here. |
As I mentioned recently, we competed at an event with less than adequate preparation. It wasn't that we weren't ready, but we didn't get a chance to XC school at all and we jumped a handful of times at a neighboring farm. Our last barn had a tiny grass ring and three jumps that I used maybe once or twice. It wasn't ideal, but nothing ever really is, so we made it work with what we had and the opportunities that presented themselves to us. Emily's business partner runs a nice facility close by so we were able to pop over there for a few jump schools. I had decided that if we could jump all her new fancy stadium jumps, that anything at the event would be easy (hahaha, ok). She had just gotten some really cool fences made including stone walls, gates, a wavy jump with boat sail standards and a butterfly jump with wings!!! She also has a little area for xc schooling. But it's a primarily hunter/jumper barn so it's more like a few logs, some stadium jumps in between trees and some hanging logs... oh and a bank jump that no one uses:)
We warmed up indoors and Emily had me ride through a gymnastic a few times to get Riley thinking on his feet. This is going to sound weird, but for whatever reason, no matter what height she sets jumps to in a grid I could care less about them. But you set up some random vertical somewhere and I clam up like a weirdo. She's well aware of this so she'll jack fences up in grids while I'm not looking. Very sneaky.
 |
| Love his soft expression |
 |
| Maybe one day my poor right leg will uncurl itself |
As you can see, he was very excited about the whole thing. He's always been a sort of economical jumper. He's gets his limbs out of the way, but he doesn't see the point of going bonkers (until he finds something scary and then jumps it like a deer). We used to joke around when he first started learning to jump because often his front feet were on the ground and his back legs hadn't quite left the other side of the fence.
This particular day, we worked on me landing and GOING. In his conservative state, he will attempt to putter out when he thinks the activity is over... you can see me kind of goosing him to continue cantering over the ground pole in the gif!
So we headed outside, jumped a quick course and then took to the XC field to practice our land and GO! technique.
 |
| Heading toward the barn, weeeeee! |
 |
| This thing looks pretty innocuous, but it's begging for a run out to the right and there's a huge log pile upon landing (to be avoided) |
 |
| And GO! Riley! |
It got to the point that I would land from a fence and gallop away from it to get his engine revved up. If there's one thing I learned from the event (and falling off) it's that Riley jumps wayyy better if he's
going. This half-hearted, lazy canter/trot is not doing us any favors. And I know the gears are in there... exhibit A:
 |
| Maybe a little TOO much enthusiasm. 1st jump school of 2015. |
But there's a balance, and I think we found it. It's important to get him revved up, but not offended. In front of my leg and not teetering in 2nd gear.
 |
| He found this lattice especially exciting. *You get a better idea of the bank in this pic. |
The lattice gave us a little issue in that he was very backed off the first two times over it. Once I got him back in front of my leg he jumped it beautifully and wouldn't ya know it, when he jumps well, my position improves too. I bet you guys are really blown away by all my powerful insight.
Lastly, we worked on the bank a little bit. We knew for sure that St. Augustine would have at least one bank question on the course and we wanted a little refresher for Riley. He's always been wonderful about banks. Drops/banks in and out of water = no problem. This bank however does not have a "small" side. It's 4 rail road ties high (roughly 32" plus grass). But, like I have for every other bank, I just trot him up to the obstacle, support him and he goes. This is where his default of being a little less exuberant pays off.
 |
| Good boy! |
 |
| Riding down a big bank is such a cool feeling! |
 |
| Weeeeee! Love the matching ponytails! Jesus Niamh, this isn't the Head of the Lake! |
Writing this got me thinking about the kinds of things I'd like to work on in the near future. I think to feel competitive again this year, we need to jump... a lot. it doesn't need to be big, but it needs to be consistent. Riley needs to be cantering course and we need to have adjust-ability. I think we'll start with some grid work and gymnastics to get his foot work back and go from there. Since we have hills again, I think that conditioning and interval work thrown in once a week will get he and I back into shape and ready to tackle XC. *I see a lot of 2-point and no stirrup work in my future.
