Nimbus65
16th Oct 2006, 10:22 AM
Do you know, I floated for most of the afternoon yesterday after my morning lesson - I was so chuffed and it was so much fun.
As I pulled Stan out of his box, my RI said "grab your body protector, we're going in the cross country field." I've only jumped in there once - about two months ago - and I kept getting left behind over the jump.
I've had a few showjumping lessons since - including one where my instructor had me jump two fences in a figure of eight incorporating simple changes (which was great fun).
I'm a big, fat chicken when it comes to jumping. I HAVE been a big, fat chicken about cantering and poles and all sorts of other things, but one by one, I've been conquering my fears. I warmed Stan up in the outdoor school - he was a little "sticky" and I was trying to get his canter up and bouncy rather than long and strung out (which is how he tends to come out when he's been in over night) so I was half halting and giving him a tickle with the stick when he put in the most enORmous buck. Six months ago, that would have had me backing right off but I just rebalanced, growled at him and MADE him canter on.
Once we'd warmed up and I'd practice my fold in trot and my forward seat in canter, we went out to the (small) cross country track. It was fab - he really took me to the fences. We jumped four fences - a log w/ daylight underneath (eek), a solid log fence, a double and a bank - in trot and canter. I really, really enjoyed myself and was so proud. It's probably the last time we'll get out to the cross country field until the spring, but we're planning to alternate flat and jumping lessons indoors over the winter.
The best bit was walking into the office and having one of the other clients who owns her own horse and was watching her daughter ride in the outdoor school while I was warming up and in the cross country field come up to me and say "that was fantastic - I was so impressed!"
I floated home.
N
As I pulled Stan out of his box, my RI said "grab your body protector, we're going in the cross country field." I've only jumped in there once - about two months ago - and I kept getting left behind over the jump.
I've had a few showjumping lessons since - including one where my instructor had me jump two fences in a figure of eight incorporating simple changes (which was great fun).
I'm a big, fat chicken when it comes to jumping. I HAVE been a big, fat chicken about cantering and poles and all sorts of other things, but one by one, I've been conquering my fears. I warmed Stan up in the outdoor school - he was a little "sticky" and I was trying to get his canter up and bouncy rather than long and strung out (which is how he tends to come out when he's been in over night) so I was half halting and giving him a tickle with the stick when he put in the most enORmous buck. Six months ago, that would have had me backing right off but I just rebalanced, growled at him and MADE him canter on.
Once we'd warmed up and I'd practice my fold in trot and my forward seat in canter, we went out to the (small) cross country track. It was fab - he really took me to the fences. We jumped four fences - a log w/ daylight underneath (eek), a solid log fence, a double and a bank - in trot and canter. I really, really enjoyed myself and was so proud. It's probably the last time we'll get out to the cross country field until the spring, but we're planning to alternate flat and jumping lessons indoors over the winter.
The best bit was walking into the office and having one of the other clients who owns her own horse and was watching her daughter ride in the outdoor school while I was warming up and in the cross country field come up to me and say "that was fantastic - I was so impressed!"
I floated home.
N