With dressage under our belts, I had just enough time to walk my stadium course. Nothing about it worried me too much other than knowing the two stride A and B combo seemed a bit small. Tillie is a bit on the small side so knew as long as I could get her back and ask her to wait coming in, it wouldnt be a problem.
I also reflected to the XC walk and was a bit bummed they didnt get the rain we got the day before because the ground was BONE dry. So dry that my own footsteps felt rock hard and sounded like concrete. I mentally noted my lesson learned jumping here the weekend prior at the Training derby and to try larger studs to remedy any slipping.
SOOOO quiet
Tillie was so quiet at the trailer, I was really concerned something was wrong with her. She let me stud her with no issue and was literally snoozing at her hay net. That changed slightly when hacking up to jump since, at this venue, its a mini trail ride to get there. The closer we got the higher and more giraffe mode over came Tillie.
Once we got back to the open field, I picked up a trot to get Tillie moving and went right into warming up. We popped over the X-rail and vertical asking for both leads and it was on point. The distances where there, her leads were there and all was good. I did the oxer and it wasnt bad but wasnt perfect either so as i came around, Dom started hollering out to me some words of wisdom and took on coaching mode. Dom Schramm was also in our division and warming up a horse he was competing, but if he is anything like me with students, cant help it and just has to help!
Of course then I start biffing distances and we get some pretty hairy flyers a few times but finally started getting it and getting closer distances again. He gave us last minute words and warm up advice to do before going and he trotted off to do his own course. Following his instructions, I did the oxer two more times to ask for both leads getting a better distance and finished with the vertical.
Tillie of course did them perfectly when Dom didnt see...he came trotting out and gave us a heads up the ground was slick because of it being dry around turns and asked if we had studs in. I smiled and excitedly said YES!! glad we got something right. Dom then warned us the 2-stride was tight so dont come in guns blazing. I nodded and said ok, but in my head was super excited I had picked up on that walking the course all on my own.
When it was our turn Tillie was a cool customer going in and it was one of our smoother jump rounds. It felt not as smooth with the awful footing, but it felt GREAT until fence 5 to 6 because we didnt get the lead, but it was more or less my own error and not taking a minute to chill.
You can see Tillie slip a little after fence #7 even with studs in but she recovered well and didnt get upset about it all. All in all it felt like a great round...I had to bury us a bit to the combo, but you can see it rode well after and think any more forward would have possibly cost us a rail so Yay for ratability!!
CROSS COUNTRY:
With the ground being as hard as it was and how well Tillie was jumping, I opted to forgo warming up for XC and just head right to the start box. I forgot to get pictures of all the jumps like Emma does when she competes but did finally start to about halfway through as well as get a few still out from the derby to share with you guys!
Fence 1 and 2 were nothing exciting...Tillie took them on well. #3 we slipped slightly on landing and had a some gallop time before #4 which Tillie got strong, but nothing really to worry about. #5 was an open oxer looking thing which Tillie really soared over. #5 was a bank down which I wasnt even worried about (GASP I know!!!) Tillie slipped slightly here around the turn to a larger ramp as it was a harder left turn, but she didnt lose her composure and popped right over it into a mean gallop.
#7 was a stair step or something or other I cant remember because Tillie could have cared less. #8 Is a giant bench we got on video to #9:
Off we went to #10:
Novice Trakehener
This fence rode really nicely....
The Training level trakehner we did as the last jump last weekend right next to it
Jump before the water
Jump #12 A and B, Water to bank (we did this plus a jump two strides after the bank for the derby)
Jump #13 headed to the ditches
#14 hay/rolltop a few stride to the ditches
Ditch a few strides after
Here, Tillie was feeling fine, less strong but saw a distance I didnt and took a longer spot. Not ideal before a ditch, but she isnt ditchy so she jumped the ditch right after without an issue...but flew over it I think thinking it was like the one last weekend:
The ditches we jumped at the derby...she jumped them like super man!
We had a slight uphill gallop which I could let her out for and sligggghtly push:
Our rolltop on course to the left, the one to the right is the one we jumped as part of our derby course last week so Tillie was pretty unfazed.
Bank up the hill part A
Part B of the combo
The hill rode nicely and was the last question before the final fence to home also on video:
Final jump
The training train we jumped as part of the ditch combo last week
It was a great confident round and I couldnt have been happier with Tillie. I felt like i had to ride a bit less forward with the harder ground, but Tillie wasnt too upset by it and responded ok.
She wasnt too terribly sweaty or worked up by it but man was she quiet at the trailer. So quiet I even wanted to take her temp when we got home but i didnt because she ate her dinner fine and otherwise seemed normal...but really was fine to chill, snoozed and ignore the hay (which I realized she doesnt like the new batch when testing with the old later that day).
Ahhh picky mares. But i am eager to work hard and keep pressing on to our next and final novice, the recognized at Loch moy before our move up Aug 7th to Training!!!
Its been a few days since this at-home jump school so I am hoping I don't miss anything...I also realized too that its been quite a while since schooling at home on my own outside of a lesson or a show. What is interesting about that, is obviously things are a bit different...you dont have to get it done like you do at a show and you dont have someone coaching you when in a lesson.
One of the better moments/fences with nicer position
So definitely more room for error, but also more room to experiment. Which I am trying to do in the hopes of refining my position over fences.
In addition to this, I am also going to be trying to take lessons on other horses in the hopes I can shake things up and see if that helps at all as well. I am pretty fortunate Tillie is pretty game and tolerant of this stuff. She has her moments, dont get me wrong where she tells me I messed up, but she really seems to be ok even when I royally mess up...she doesnt miss a beat and she comes right back around to the jump all business and confident. I am extremely grateful for that since I know some other horses are trickier rides in instances like that and would back off or lose confidence.
Definitely not lacking and confidence here!
I jacked up my stirrups one more hole to the top hole per Dom's suggestion. I was a bit worried at first that they would be too short/uncomfortable, but after the initial getting used to it, I didnt really notice.
I notice that when I get too forward with my upper body before take off, my lower leg does come back, but for the most part I think that has gotten better. My main issue remains being too grippy with my knee and thigh once Tillie's hind feet leave the ground. So I need to do some serious homework in hunter land and channel equitation-like form.
Trying to fold more so I can release more...but not lay on Tillies neck either
The gripping is something I also do when cantering in dressage, so I have been working hard with C on that as well. Unfortunately the last few lessons I havent been able to convince anyone to come to be able to video...which bums me out because C lessons ALWAYS end up being so packed with knowledge I know I miss that I like re-watching. Its almost like getting my lesson all over again. I also am positive there would be noticeable change in Tillie and I really would love to be able to see it and see what it looks like compared to what I am feeling.
Anyway, thats an entirely different post ;)
Dressage makes Tillie sleepy...arent her big ears just the cutest?!
So here are the videos of us jumping...some misses, but overall I think pretty good! Any misses were totally rider error on my part and I am super please with how well Tillie is jumping. I also am excited shes getting better about getting that left lead!! Not 100% yet but definitely improving now that Dom helped us with straightness.
To wrap it all up, Tillie has been getting massages from my sponsor, Ashley Lynn Moorhouse Equine Services and I couldnt be happier with how Tillie feels. Its a clear difference and our recent dressage lesson the day after was by far the loosest in Tillie's back ever...to the point sitting trot on my part was back to being laughable.
She got one Monday after our derby and she was definitely sore...but Wednesday she was much improved!
I alluded in my last posts that I have a ton going on, some outside of horses. I didn't want to say too much until things were finalized...but I accepted a new job!!!
While I am still a bit nervous about it because, well its a change and change is scary, I am also excited to see what opportunities it brings. I was not job searching at all so I really struggled making the choice to make the jump since I have invested time in my current position...but I realized by even entertaining going on an interview, I was starting to feel a bit stuck. I know there was a chance for growth at my current position, but this new opportunity fell on my lap quite literally and has a much less corporate environment.
I won't bore everyone with too many more details...but I am hopeful what it will bring.
Also, because I am so excited with how the weekend went, here is a sneak preview and what my next few posts will be the next few days regarding the Dom Schramm Clinic:
This past weekend was hopefully mother nature's last hurrah for winter...sick cruel joke if you ask me to have sleet/snow/rain for the first day of spring. Eventers are known for sticking it out through all weather, so we all loaded up, layered up and headed to our weekly saturday jump lesson with P.
Very wet and very cold lesson
I am not going to hide it, I was a bit of a baby after we stopped moving after warm up and in between our turn trying each exercise. But in my defense, my layers were not staying waterproof and ultimately soaked through which had me shivering and teeth chattering after a few minutes of sitting still. Tillie really didnt see to care and would have much preferred to nap instead.
#marefaces
Before our lesson, we saw the fitter to try a few different saddles to see what would work. Tillie was a star and stood patiently through the entire appointment even when it came to hopping on and off her a few times to try her moving in each one as well.
Yawning / Tired Tillie
We were hopeful as we drove to the lesson that the weather would hold off since it seemed to lighten a bit. But once we arrived it was pretty steadily coming down so we headed to the indoor to warm up. P came in and announced it wasnt doing anything that hard anymore so we should go to the outdoor ring (which is preferable with less dust and more space).
The lesson seemed straightforward, but it could have been my brain was so distracted from being wet and cold I just glazed over.
Or froze over...
I had a bit of a realization in this lesson. I really do a poor job as a rider with the approach to the first fence on course and lines the first time through...I can trot into fences all day long, but as soon as you ask me to come in cantering I just cant sit up and wait for that first fence. Exhibit A:
Before going into this, I had asked P if I could just try trotting the skinny fence since skinnies tend to be the fences Tillie sucks back and questions by fishtailing a bit. P told me quite boldly no lol and to own it and we would be fine. Clearly from the video, Tillie could have cared less.
P sent us around to try it again to clean up the first fence by using more of our turn on the approach which seemed to work well. I also rode a but more forward to the coop...which we didnt remove a stride or anything, it was more mental for me to ride her without needing to do much and let her figure it out:
So P had us string together the entire course together:
So we had a bit of a blip on the outside line...and I clearly dont know how to freakin wait with my shoulders, but Tillie was a solid citizen and saved my butt. I can see a few of the jumps where I micromanage she isnt jumping as well, but Im trying not to worry so much about her form and realize, shes getting over these without issue and isnt over faced so I need to stop.
P had us try the outside line on more time to get the striding right and man, when the forward stride works it feels so great...and it makes me realize I need to get more comfortable riding out of this forward stride now that Tillie is allowing me to half halt her without losing her mind:
I didnt really think all that much of good or bad outcome from the lesson...probably from being so could. But either way, its def one to check off for testing riding in crappy and less than ideal weather right?!
The still over the second fence of the open 3 stride line. LOVE Tillies form here :)
...is a lot harder sometimes than in lessons. Well duh! In lessons, I have an instructor holding my hand, giving me confidence which also gives Tillie confidence. So yea, it makes sense why the magic comes easier in lessons with the puppeting my instructors do that manipulates me and Tillie right where we need to be.
the beginnings of what we were trying to attempt (except this is the RIGHT way to do it)
The point of this post is to sort of laugh at myself and learn from my schooling ride last night with my barn mates. We had it all planned out. We would jump some jumps and set up a one stride line exercise of oxers.
Simple right? We do it every saturday in our P jump lessons...except P is there slowly building them up rather then putting them right up to the final height.
We are all smart adults...but for some reason we didnt think to go hmm maybe we should put these down to cross rails first.
So Tillie and I warm up beautifully. I let her canter out a bit more and she responded coming back nicely. My thought for this was, if I can find this balance during the show season where shes got enough gas to safely compete, but not too much she is harder to half halt Ill be golden.
Anyway, we pop over a small cross rail a few times, then a few random 2'6 ish verticals and she was fine. I worked on my release and trying to find a good distance in our rhythm and not always reverting to adding since that tends to be my go to.
The longer (non short) spot really promotes tillie to stretch better and jump up rather than over her shoulder
So after those felt good I looked at Brita and said ok lets try the one stride line (two one strides). I got a nice canter and made the turn...which in hindsight I should have circled because Tillie lost her shoulder but I closed my thigh and thought hey we got this.
Jump #1 we swiveled with Tillie taking off and seeing the other jumps and just reallllly backed off. so I landed in a heap, lost my left stirrup and in true - lets get er done fashion sat up, closed my leg and clucked her on.
Looking back to a more successful jump
We got through it. Barely. Tillie landed and cantered off like we just finished and grand prix course with my left stirrup flopping around and all. Which I was super excited about in a way because A) I ALWAYS lose my right stirrup not my left which means maybe, just maybe I am evening out from my last few schooling rides working on my own alignment and B) I didnt feel at all unseated without that stirrup which hopefully means my stickability is improving.
MMMMAAAAYBE we should have been smarter about this and opted to take turns slowly building up to a 2'6 one stride grid eh?
I cant speak for the rest of us, but I can attest that my brain wasnt all there yesterday with how stressful life has been lately in other non horsey areas so Im giving myself a "laugh it off and Ill try to use more of my brain next time".
We did ultimately lower it and go through a few more times just fine and just sort of play around to rebuild our confidence (mostly mine). I found myself not feeling too happy with Tillie being uphill enough and wondered if I was being too hard on her, accurate in what I felt or if the judge from Sunday was still in my head.
Tillie also felt a bit different when switching diagonals which leads me to believe she was a bit weaker on one of her hinds...which it felt the right hind again to me. I always worry, but am trying to chaulk it up to some pretty crummy footing probably making her sore because when I got off to check her legs and poultice her to be over the top safe, both legs felt cold as ice.
So I did feel a teeeeennnyy bit better when a barn mate said she sneaked in a video and I saw it showing Tillie jumping pretty darn uphill. So maybe I need to stop worrying so much about it and just let her figure it out:
Shes getting over stuff without having trouble, she doesnt take rails down a lot at all...so the uphill thing? Who cares (well yes it matters but I think it will come). My horse may not be a power house jumper, but she has game, is brave and does have scope even if it doesnt look all that amazing. And hey, these struggle bus rides that I apparently plan but not enough...Tillie clearly tells me what she thinks and it keeps us knowing where we need to be right?
As far as seeing my form, I now am realizing my release is getting there and my heels are too...but I now notice it isnt the release that is posing a problem, its how quickly I am sitting back in the saddle on landing. So back to the age old question of how to prevent that without my shoulders getting ahead?! UGH.
The weekend of January 22nd, we got hit with the biggest snowfall our state has ever seen since recorded snowfalls in history of our state. Pretty darn impressive. It was nice, at first. The first few days cleaning, cooking and catching up on the neglected things...but after 3 days of not ONE snow plow down our street and being forced to work (from home but it still sucked since everyone else was off) I was going stir crazy.
Sooo much snow...
Even as recent as yesterday some roads are still not plowed to the full width of both lanes...meaning riding was not happening. I was soo envious of barnmates that could go during the day to ride the fluffy fresh powder, but I couldnt get out there before dark and the lack of lights sort of put a stop to me trudging through almost 3ft of snow by myself to ride.
For those that could play in the snow, I got some pics to hold me over :)
Tillie clearly enjoyed her mini vacation.
With snow/ice covering all available riding surfaces, that meant no teaching lessons for like I usually do, but luckily our usual saturday jump lesson with P was still on since they have an indoor! I was so excited I got to the barn early to do a bit of grooming and love on Tillie.
Never so happy to see this face!
The plus side to all this snow - her whites on her legs have never been whiter! Now we have rain moving in and that will quickly change that, but thats ok...that hopefully means a ride-able ring with the lights!
We loaded up to go to P and once again she self loaded like a charm! I really am getting quite spoiled! The indoor here is quite small, so trying to fit us all in was a bit hectic on top of snow occasionally sliding off the roof sending all the horses into a frenzy. Tillie got used to this by the end and only had a few sassy mare moments.
Because most of us havent been riding and because the deep snow does wear them out, we did a simple low grid just to get us all back in the swing of things. I dont think anyone was particularly thrilled with their rides...but all in all you could tell our horses were true champs just trying their hardest despite being fatigued.
I spoke with P about the head wagging tracking left and we ruled out soreness since she just saw the chiro, decided to try the dentist (since shes due anyway) but that it was most likely that she isnt really through enough in the bridle. So during warm up I really thought about riding her forward without rushing and getting her into the contact more. That really seemed to help!
I made sure to giver her a lot of walk breaks through with all the recent time off...so that wasnt helpful for our rhythm, but was great to work on transitions.
oh hey!?
P had us warm up over some trot poles and then raised a few to be cavaletti. Tillie seemed bored and did it no problems. We moved on to cantering one ground pole and then two. Tillie did it tracking right beautifully...tracking left the first time she got a bit flat and grabby but second time through figured out her balance without trying to goad me into helping her.
So onto jumping:
First attempt through, you could tell Tillie just wasnt quite sure and the tightness of the indoor made her a bit nervous about her balance/feet jumping:
When P had us try to come through again things got a bit interesting:
So ok, it wasnt great...but we recovered and I took a deep breath and knew I needed to let her go a bit more and stop micromanaging her. When I do, she feels claustrophobic and gets behind my leg, too light in contact and just stops listing to turning off my aids. What is nice about P's lesson format is you get to sit and reflect while others go...so I took some time to reset before we tried again:
MUCH better this time through even tracking left. So the answer all along is to stay off of her face...well duh!!
So P raised the fences a teeeeeny bit more and we all did it a few more times. These last two times Tillie really started getting tired. This round, I should have trotted another lap to wake her up after sitting still for so long, but she pulled us through and got it together:
P had us go through ONE more time and commented that Tillie would jump the first one well, the second kinda ok and the third one like "OMG I cant make it over" so we called it quits after this one:
I walked away from the lesson a bit ambivalent. I was really happy with the fact that Tillie was pretty much all business aside from a few minor incidents...but I didnt feel like we had done anything great or worthy of improvement. Regardless, I realized I actually wanted to do more in a lesson...when in the past I would dread running through the exercises and get a sinking feeling. Its awesome that now, I cant get enough.
Sooo tired after the lesson
I also was fully prepared to watch back the videos and be disappointed in both my form and Tillie's...only to be pleasantly surprised at Tillie! (My form still left some to be desired, but I am not beating myself up too much here with all the time off - Mainly my release lacking).
Despite these fences being small, Tillie was jumping really well...mostly over just the first one through the line and her form would die out more and more over each additional one. BUT the fact that shes jumping even these smaller fences so well is promising right?!
Not to mention her trot looks pretty darn amazing too despite time off:
FANCY PANTS
I know I am gushing a bit...but I self doubt ALOT. Both myself and Tillie so its nice to see footage that makes me feel good.
