Rolex hangover with novice debut on the horizon

So this is a pretty huge deal for me...not only is it Tillie's first novice, but mine as well. I really thought I was destined to be a forever BN rider (not that there is anything wrong with that at all!). I just have set my sights to do more if possible.

First time seeing Tillie since Rolex!!

So my entry went in today for our first novice next saturday...and I was super confident before leaving for Rolex. Our jump schools and XC outing were on point even when it wasnt...we were able to ride through it and just keep on keeping on to get it done.

But since coming back, we just feel rusty.

Isnt she just so cute!?

I didnt waste any time...my first ride back from Rolex Wednesday was a lesson with Dom. Needless to say, it wasnt our best ride ever and was a bit interesting. By the end of the lesson we cleaned things up, but it still just felt a bit out of sync.

Tillie totally loving the spring grass and being in heat

It doesnt help she recently changed fields for the spring-summer, is back out on grass and is also in heat. OHHHH the joys of a mare in heat...when leg = GO but not soften like we have ingrained sooooo much.

Tillie is the angry unicorn while i am and ninja cat

The next day I had a dressage lesson with C and things finally came together a little bit more, but not without the head tossing and sass from Tillie expressing all her feelings.

I tried not to get discouraged by this OR our really shitty rainy weather here....apparently we now live in seattle.

luckily our ring held up ok today

So I was pretty determined to get in a jump school with P being away to get in one more solid school in of coursework at novice height to see if I still felt ready like before Rolex.

Our warm up wasnt spectacular, and I did choose to put her in the pelham (THANK GOD). She was certainly feeling her oats and getting that nice soft canter proved to be a bit of a challenge. Tillie started out with one thing in mind...its DERBY day and we just go flat and fast.

We launch apparently, not jump

But once I checked her a few times, a few things clicked and despite some more bloopers you will get to see, it still felt like we got through it together. I stuck with her and Tillie did honestly try despite having had a less than full workload.

Yea.....3' aint no big deal

Here is our first course...it isnt too terrible, but you can see when she tends to get flat. 

Then she got pissed to have to do it all again and then the bloppers started:

When we apparently forget how to horse....or anything at all:

SO take two:

Not really much better...A for effort....or asinine?

I regrouped and gave tillie a pep talk and said look mare, you and I can do this and despite the footing, we can make a nice clean round right?

Well sorta.....

Not great, but at least we got it done eh?

so I decided ONE more go at it and try to slow it all down a bit. Make tillie not think about getting to the other side so much as just jump the freakin jumps. She was getting a bit tired by this point so slightly heavy. You can see my reins are longer/slipping more BUT it was a nicer smoother round:

All in all I was super excited my position felt pretty good minus a few release issues...thats just a work in progress. I felt like I did a better job looking up and stuck with her despite some of her more powerful launches. 

She had some less than stellar moments, but I am please with her efforts and think if we can muddle through here than maybe just maybe our novice next weekend wont be so awful!