I’m really feeling now like Bree is my pony and I’m getting to know her properly and also feel comfortable with who she is and how she reacts to things. It was a big one yesterday - we trailered out and met up with 4 others to ride round a 10k track that has xc jumps round it. There was lots of fast work and although at the beginning I had to keep her at the front, by the end she was happy cantering at the back too 
She was in her plastic sprenger duo snaffle as well and was never strong. She definitely has points where if I let her, she’d start headshaking but Ive got it nailed now that it’s definitely behavioural with her, to start with anyway. After a few of us had been popping a few jumps and then a big gallop up a hill she started snatching and wanting to flick her head but now she gets told to shut up and get on with it and it settles down. Previously Id have assumed it was environmental and let her rub her face and stretch and she’d have gone into head flicking overdrive. Im so chuffed with her though, she was really really good fun We had a bit of a nap when we arrived back at the trailer park, not sure why but she responded to a smacked bum and a growl, so another ‘score’.
We did pop over a couple of really teeny logs and and went through the water (puddle hehe) and little step up. I absolutely love jumping but Ive decided its just not for us as a partnership Bree can jump, she’s done some WH & SJ at local shows up to about 90, just over last summer as she’s only 6 but she has a fair pop on her.She needs a very confident jockey though coming into a fence and Im just not that. I need to be able to build my trust up in a horse, starting low and working up. Unfortunately, even a stick on the ground gets a proper launch from Bree. We trot into a pole and she feels Im tense, it makes her tense and instead of popping over nicely she puts in a huge cat leap, straight up and down. Ive tried coming in canter and it doesnt make any difference, the pony who has won jump off’s will grind to a halt at a single pole of 50cm with me and then sky rocket over it Makes me sad but I feel we are in such a good place with our confidence that there is no point in pushing things. I might see if I can find a better jockey to jump her at some point and just hope that her baby sister Brook is easier into a fence when she starts in a few years.
She was in her plastic sprenger duo snaffle as well and was never strong. She definitely has points where if I let her, she’d start headshaking but Ive got it nailed now that it’s definitely behavioural with her, to start with anyway. After a few of us had been popping a few jumps and then a big gallop up a hill she started snatching and wanting to flick her head but now she gets told to shut up and get on with it and it settles down. Previously Id have assumed it was environmental and let her rub her face and stretch and she’d have gone into head flicking overdrive. Im so chuffed with her though, she was really really good fun We had a bit of a nap when we arrived back at the trailer park, not sure why but she responded to a smacked bum and a growl, so another ‘score’. We did pop over a couple of really teeny logs and and went through the water (puddle hehe) and little step up. I absolutely love jumping but Ive decided its just not for us as a partnership
Bree can jump, she’s done some WH & SJ at local shows up to about 90, just over last summer as she’s only 6 but she has a fair pop on her.She needs a very confident jockey though coming into a fence and Im just not that. I need to be able to build my trust up in a horse, starting low and working up. Unfortunately, even a stick on the ground gets a proper launch from Bree. We trot into a pole and she feels Im tense, it makes her tense and instead of popping over nicely she puts in a huge cat leap, straight up and down. Ive tried coming in canter and it doesnt make any difference, the pony who has won jump off’s will grind to a halt at a single pole of 50cm with me and then sky rocket over it Makes me sad but I feel we are in such a good place with our confidence that there is no point in pushing things. I might see if I can find a better jockey to jump her at some point and just hope that her baby sister Brook is easier into a fence when she starts in a few years.
