How do you follow your jump in good form when you are just so damn excited that he actually went over it? Let me tell you...
I set up a few jumps today, not the same way as the lesson, but the same concept...
...a small vertical with feed bags draped from here to Egypt...
...with a canter pole 32ft out.
I put the canter pole mainly for me. I wanted to be able to keep him collected and calm and not rushing after the jump. He tends to rush in and out. Talk about half-halts!
This is where Terri's lesson came in. If he lands on his left lead we follow to the left and take the jump with the tires.
If he takes the right lead we follow to the right and take the high crossrail with flowers. None of the jumps were over 2'3".
This exercise does a few things...one...I don't anticipate the next jump, second he doesn't anticipate the next jump BECAUSE we don't know which way we are going yet. It also helps you feel the leads without looking. I tried to guess which lead he was on before looking. By the third time around I didn't even have to look anymore. Most of the time when I do look down at my leads I am correct, I think it is just a confidence thing.
By the end of the whole session he was tired and sweaty and I was a proud mama! He never once tried to refuse the jumps. He took them head on and kept the forward motion. He never second guessed himself. A few times he did chip and reach for a jump (a few times I grabbed mane to prevent hitting him in the mouth) but over all he went over and never knocked one down. He was willing and confident!!! He has been making great strides (no pun intended) in his jumping.
Tomorrow we are going for a long, long, long trail ride.
w00t!
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