The heat is unrelenting but I managed to get up and feed early so I could then tack up the mare-beast for a short jump school. The day before I'd had rearranged my jumps from the grid in to three jumps each at varying heights and angles. I had also decided I wanted them to be a bit spookier. But how do you make plain PVC poles spookier without spending a ton of money? Ever use painter's tape? Sure it's great for keeping paint off things you don't want painted but it's pretty ingenious for making plain white poles in to striped poles without the commitment of paint, or other things. And it comes in a couple of colors.
I did just the minimum amount of warm-up I can get away with because even at 9:30 in the morning the humidity was terrible. To the point that on our walk breaks of which there were many I walked Seneca in the narrow strip of shade along the fence line.
I did no lateral work, no dressage-esk work at all. I wanted to get in, get out, get it done. I trotted then cantered my warm-up fence, a small X with a ground pole set out 11 feet in front of it. Then on to the newest of my spook fences, a fence I have specifically made as scary as possible. I want Seneca to think about running out, and have the opportunity to correct her so she will stop doing it. She did run out the first time but it was totally my fault. I anticipated she was going to jump it and leaned at her. She took advantage of that and ducked out to the right. *Sigh* Ride to the base, ride to the base, ride to the base. I will chant this in my head next time.
But we had no more run outs after that. We cantered the spook fence and I had intended to trot over the big max height 2'8" fence then canter it. We trotted it but Seneca knocked the top rail with her hind feet and since I don't have a handy grounds person plus the High Queen had been pretty good, and the heat/humidity was horrible I finished on that and then hosed the mare off before letting her back in to the pasture.
The lesson I was teaching myself today was that I need to just go with the cantering up to a fence. Seneca is not going to kill you if she's a bit too fast coming to a 2'7 stadium fence. The worst that will happen? You'll trash the fence and rack up faults. Let her fly, heels down, grab mane, and Go With IT!
I did pretty well with it today. I don't know if I will get to ride tomorrow the heat is supposed to be worse so we'll have to see. Right now I'm spending time watching old episodes of the FEI Show Jumping World Cup qualifiers. These are the people I should emulate for stadium, we're not hunters. Be fast, and clean, fast and clean!
Keep it between the flags everyone.
I did just the minimum amount of warm-up I can get away with because even at 9:30 in the morning the humidity was terrible. To the point that on our walk breaks of which there were many I walked Seneca in the narrow strip of shade along the fence line.
I did no lateral work, no dressage-esk work at all. I wanted to get in, get out, get it done. I trotted then cantered my warm-up fence, a small X with a ground pole set out 11 feet in front of it. Then on to the newest of my spook fences, a fence I have specifically made as scary as possible. I want Seneca to think about running out, and have the opportunity to correct her so she will stop doing it. She did run out the first time but it was totally my fault. I anticipated she was going to jump it and leaned at her. She took advantage of that and ducked out to the right. *Sigh* Ride to the base, ride to the base, ride to the base. I will chant this in my head next time.
But we had no more run outs after that. We cantered the spook fence and I had intended to trot over the big max height 2'8" fence then canter it. We trotted it but Seneca knocked the top rail with her hind feet and since I don't have a handy grounds person plus the High Queen had been pretty good, and the heat/humidity was horrible I finished on that and then hosed the mare off before letting her back in to the pasture.
The lesson I was teaching myself today was that I need to just go with the cantering up to a fence. Seneca is not going to kill you if she's a bit too fast coming to a 2'7 stadium fence. The worst that will happen? You'll trash the fence and rack up faults. Let her fly, heels down, grab mane, and Go With IT!
I did pretty well with it today. I don't know if I will get to ride tomorrow the heat is supposed to be worse so we'll have to see. Right now I'm spending time watching old episodes of the FEI Show Jumping World Cup qualifiers. These are the people I should emulate for stadium, we're not hunters. Be fast, and clean, fast and clean!
Keep it between the flags everyone.
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