Today I was so tired and almost didn't feel like riding, but like so many others nothing will stop me from riding unless I am in the hospital having my legs removed and then it might be a toss up. I have been trying to manage my time better so I can ride more and it seems to be paying off. Olly is really becoming more confident. He isn't all the way there and has a TON of room for improvement, but I can see that he truely wants to please me. He will put all his heart into whatever he is doing. He strives for the "good boy" and a neck rub. I could spend my whole day just pampering him. Today as I walked out to the barn he saw me from the other side of the paddock hauling a saddle on my hip, bridle on my shoulder and blanket and bell botts in my hand took off galloping to his stall. He waited til I got there to open the door and walked in. I love my boy!!! He couldn't wait to get the show on the road. Saddled and ready to go we walked down to the grassy mile to warm up. We barely make it a 1/2 mile when we round the first hill and see a truck and a man wearing blaze orange...whoops! I called out sorry and made the best of the way home, bending and yielding. He was much more calm and focused today, maybe we didn't need the 3 mile warm-up. Back at the house I had the jumps already set for the day. We started out will a few lower jumps. Crossrails and 2'3" to get the blood pumping, it was a high of 45* today. Not so warm.
After making a few rounds playing around with strides, we raised the last jump to 2'6". For quite awhile now we have been jumping crossrails and vertilces that were only 18" to 2ft. It is time to up the minimum. No more 18" stuff. 2ft only here. Not that it is much of an increase but we have to start somewhere. After a few months of perfecting that we will raise the bar again. Olly can clearly jump upward of 3 ft, but what is height if you have nothing else. We have been paying attention to strides lately and he is actually understanding it better than I had originally thought he would. See, Olly has what I like to call horsey ADD. Tasks that take focusing and concentration seem to bee more difficult. I mean, on a good day I have to ride him for 20 minutes just to get his head on straight. So it is encouraging to see that he is capable of doing it.
On to 2'6"!! He floated right over. He is getting more and more fluid over the jumps too. I can't wait for the next show season. I know he will do great.
Just to mix it up in the end we jumped the bank about 10 feet to the right so he would have to drift to the left to make the crossrail. I wondered how he would handle it not being centered. He had only three strides to make it. I rode in two-point the entire way just to be ready. He actually did it perfectly. He made the crossrail right down the middle and the last jump like he had been straight from the begining. After you hit the first jump, the rest you just have to ride though, I mean, how can you fix the jump when you are one stride from it? You can't. I made sure he was collected before starting and kept my right leg on him to guide him to the left. He followed the direction great! I wish I would have video'd it. I just happened to think of it after I turned it off. Next time I will add it to the list. Tomorrow is Sunday! Long trail ride day! I also promised Colton he could ride Kiki. Pictures to follow.
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