So it's a good thing I was all "I'm going to focus on the happiness of my horse and not worry about moving up to Novice or even doing AEC's" yesterday because.. ha ha... we are still struggling. We had some issues in our XC lesson today. BUT... the good news is that they seemed to be "dusting off the cobweb" issues and not "there's still an underlying issue" problems. So that's good news. We actually had fun and it ended well. And in some ways.. it was kind of nice to get another fall out of the way. It's been awhile and I sort of had a vague sense it was coming. So... yeah..
We started out warming up and he was a little bit lazy. Jacel asked how he was and I told her that he tended to be a little lazy until he got rolling. So she had me jump a tiny little log up and downhill just to see how he was. And it was perfect! I mean, it wasn't a fire breathing dragon canter but it was also literally a log on the ground. So then we went to the banks. She had us canter up the novice one (I think it was novice.. maybe it was BN) Anyways, we did that although I did lift my hands. No, don't lift your hands Holly. You can push them forward but don't lift them in the air. So then she wanted us to do a "training" roll top up the hill, the novice roll top (that I kept getting crappy distances to the other day with Cindy) and then the log to the drop bank to the log. So... we headed off and had a refusal at the roll top. Sigh... it was big. (Sadness... but, cutting myself some slack. It's been awhile! Both of us are still a little bit conditioned from the last two years of jumping issues to not be confident). So Jacel pointed out that I had tipped my shoulders at it and taken my leg off. So back we came to it. I had a little bigger canter going into it. I leg yielded him into it to help unlock his barrel, and I kept my seat a little deeper and tried to push my shoulder blades back together. (A Beth-ism which has always helped). And pushed the last few strides and softened my hands ever so slightly by pushing my elbows a teeny bit forward. And he went! So we did it again and then did the other roll top and then the drop log to bank to log. And other than a little chip at the roll top #2, he was perfect!
So then we went to the water. She had me jump that roll top then into the water then out over the "scary log" up the hill, then around to the drop into the water and then out over the chevron. I gulped at the chevron! She said "You can do it!". So... we had a good start and he was feeling amazing! He started to hesitate at the big roll top and I started to tip my shoulders at him but stopped myself, sat up, closed my leg, and he went! He was super bold to the scary log and was brave into the water. We came to the chevron and I thought it was going to be okay. I really don't think I tipped at him, but... I guess I did. I thought he was taking off and I started to take off. But he slammed on the breaks. Like a reining stop apparently. The good news is that he flung me hard enough that I cleared the chevron. Good thing as that thing is solid! I barely scraped my elbow as we went over. He stayed there. So... basically Jacel said that he HATES me on his shoulders. I cannot tip ahead. She said that he's basically insecure and needs me. He puts on the tough guy act but he really needs me. When I'm in the back seat and have my shoulders up and a slight contact but soften my elbows (without tipping my body at him)... he is confident and says "I GOT THIS!". But if I abandon him and collapse my body or drop him... he says "OMG.. Nope, I don't got this!". And...she wants me to stay in the back seat, but not drive. So almost like my dressage "crunch". So... she said that we would come back to that at a later date. It wasn't a jump issue... it was a jumping position issue, but that it didn't require being accomplished today before the show and we would come back to it later and it would have likely fixed itself. Fair enough. So we did the ramp again and it was fine. So we moved on. We did the little course again but without the chevron and he was awesome.
So then we went to the ditches. She asked how he was and I said "Oh, he's pretty good about ditches... we've basically done them his whole life and Beth made us walk them when we were small children, so.. he's good". :) And he was. We did a little course, including the hanging log into the woods. She told me it would back him off and it did and we had a refusal. I spanked him, which I shouldn't have. She said it was legit confusion. And sure enough, when we came back, he jumped it like a beast! So then he was all cocky and got a little too dragon-y and we came a little too hot to the ditch to the hanging log. The best we can ascertain is that he didn't see it. He just cantered over it. His front end made it, but the back leg ended up "in the hole" and his leg just dropped into it. Of course then he had to drag that leg out (and of course it's the darn right hind!) and it pulled his boot down and he panicked and continued on three legs. Meanwhile I was on his neck because our tragectory rapidly got cut short. He ALMOST jumped the hanging lg anyways, but I stayed on his neck and he stopped. I jumped off and pulled his boot off and then he relaxed. He walked off sound and then I jogged him and he was sound. So I got back and trotted and he was sound. Then he looked all around to make sure no one had seen him. We trotted and then cantered the other ditch and he was fine. Then we tried again, this time with a little wiggle of the bit to get his attention, and he was super! So then we did one more little mini course ending with the big roll top again and called it quits!
Jeesh! Talk about an exciting XC school! The good news is that I got my fall out of the way. And more importantly, it didn't freak me out. Partly cause it didn't hurt. Partly because it didn't feel like a fall from him being unable to jump or not wanting to jump. And because we continued on and ... it didn't take money out of the bank really. So, in a way, that almost improved my confidence. And even after the ditch.. he was game and on fire. As opposed to before, where when we started having issues.. it rapidly spiraled downhill. And he felt good! So... it felt more like dusting off cobwebs than being a problem. Phew!
So... now, EEEEAAAAAKKKK... I'll dressage Thursday and practice the test. It has that weird angled entry and exit... then I'll do something Saturday (probably dressage and hack) and then we'll head out Sunday and hope for the best!
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