Some days you wonder I got out of bed for this?
It was a disappointing lesson day for us this past Thursday. We were working on some jumping lines over some “scary” jumps. One jump was an oxer, another was a vertical with some colorful buckets under it, a flowered vertical and then a vertical with a blanket draped over it to give the illusion of a panel jump.
The blanket/panel jump just had us both completely unfocused. Because it was so close to the Oxer, he would jump the first jump and then deek out on the second jump which was the oxer, so we dropped the second pole of the oxer, and still it was an issue. He was paying too much attention to the horrifically scary blanket/panel jump. Now at OHara, we did our first panel jump there, and it wasn’t a problem for either of us, but if you make it out of dangerous horse eating cotton – well then it becomes worse then a water hazard.
We brought everything down to a trot, and although we finished our mini course, it certainly didn’t leave me feeling very positive about Maple Ridge coming up. If Oz was going to be a tool about the little stuff at home, how were we going to handle the pressure of MREC?
Friday we just rode down the street past the golf course, up beside the highway. I just wanted to clear my head of the issues we were having in the ring, and without Brianne there to assist us, I knew it could go one of two ways, so-so or really bad…. So with that thought I decided we would just hack out. He was a jem, other then crossing over a scary street bridge, in which it wasn’t much of a hesitation. But I thought good we’ve cleared his mind of all the bad thoughts, and mine too.
I along with Brianne, Kim, Sandra, Kyra, Little Amy and I think some other students went to watch the BC Summer Games Equestrian, Jumping division. From where we were sitting we had a great view of the jumps and some of the lines. There were some incredible horses and riders there, and then some that it just wasn’t to be their day – boy do I know that feeling. The jumps were sitting at about 3’6, and were looking fairly looming to me. It didn’t really motivate me to ride; in fact I grew a bit more nervous. But with a bunch of other things going on at work and the non equine area’s of my life, I know I’ve been playing some major head games with myself over the past week or so. After seeing some of these fabulous young riders jumping, it did make me feel like such a beginner – and not in a good way.
Knowing I had to try and break this mind game of mine, I waited till the heat of the day passed and headed up to the barn at 8:30 pm that night. We were going to ride the scary jumps again, and this time under the lights – which we’ve never done before.
As I was tacking up, I TRIED, but unsuccessfully tried to put everything into a positive spin… we were going to jump things, we were going to jump clear, I was going to stay in the saddle….. Brianne rode him for about 20 – 30 minutes before, and was having him move so lovely on the flat. After a little bit, where he started to focus on her and what she was asking and not trying to stare down the jumps in the ring, he really came along beautifully. I told her then that next year – she should ride him in the dressage show – she had him moving that nicely.
Then I clambered on, not sure why all of a sudden its getting harder and harder to climb into the saddle, maybe he’s growing – I doubt it, maybe I’m shrinking – this is a strong possibility. We trotted over the scary blanket/panel jump which we had changed to a cross rail, with a couple of towels thrown over it. He gave it hardly a glance. Once we started to master that, and get our confidence back, then we proceeded to our mini course. Again an in and out single and oxer with flowers, vertical with the buckets and the blanket/panel jump. We started everything at the trot, and he was getting over them, but was totally lazy. So off we tried it at a canter, the first time around, everything was fine, but the bucket jump we were cutting it strangely to the one side. Every time we cantered up to it though, it just felt like he was either a) out of control and rushing it b) we were cutting the corner real tight and thus ending up right beside the one standard. Brianne thought our track was right, but it just didn’t feel right going into it when we were doing it. So again we tried it, this was probably our 4th or 5th time over it, but this time I knew something was off, not sure what, but it just felt bad – as we were flying over the jump, I knew we were over jumping this. When I glanced beside and saw that the standard was at my foot, I then knew – this was REALLY big. We landed and I fell on Ozzy’s neck, and lost steering, he ended up stopping a HAIR in front of Brianne’s Border collie, Andy, who had been lying by the stool by a jump fearful of moths…. Thank god Oz is such a good boy and never takes off or bucks when I land so bad. It felt big and ugly, and I’m sure it looked big and ugly. We pretty much jumped over the 5’0+ standard, instead of the jump. Over the past month, Oz has been leaning towards jumping over or at the standards, and its probably my biggest fear. Far greater then falling off, is to have either him or I land and be stabbed by a standard. I know this is rider error and could be corrected, but I’ve now started to fear the standards and stare at them as we ride up to the jumps – thus pointing my horse directly to them.
We finished another round of the mini course but at a trot. So now my fears are not jump height, as we know he can easily clear 4+ feet if not 5+. Its in our direction and trying to keep him center of the jumps. We are done riding now until we get down to Maple Ridge on Wednesday. Wednesday we are hacking around the facility, Thursday will be a schooling day, and then show day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Am I nervous? You betcha! But I think come Wednesday evening, once the horses are safely unloaded and I can see the facility and such – I probably won’t be as nervous. Just got to keep remembering, its just another horse show, it will be our 8th show of our season. And for our first year, really I can’t complain. He is a Clydesdale; this is a fairly busy year for riding for me. I don’t honestly remember the last time I rode so often and routinely. I remember when I first told Brianne, um I don’t know how to jump, I have this Clydesdale, and we have a jumping show in a week – can you help, this was the end of March – a short 4 months ago, almost to the day. Back then we couldn’t make it over a crossrail without a very ugly and awkward landing, now we are jumping 2’6 and clearing much higher. I have to remember we’ve accomplished a lot already, I wouldn’t have thought by this time I would be cantering to jumps, let alone busting out of the hunter division and wanting jumpers so badly. Also be throwing oxers into the mix… Really who does this??????