XC Schooling. I think I can.

I don't always ride well -- no, seriously it is true! But when I do, it is magic.

Getting more brave every successful lesson.

Following my disappointing moment of fear/abandon ship/xc fail in my last derby, I immediately set to work trying to find a coach that would be taking a group out for xc schooling. Fortunately I found a great coach with a small group of lower level riders to head out with right away.

I love this coach. She is very hands-on experienced with xc, has a great eye for rider and horse and is fair in analysing and verbalising what she sees.

Pre-lesson pow-wow

She had been at all the past derbies and had the opportunity to see us do well, as well as the not so good moments. She noted that Savvy perhaps was struggling more with taking in all of the landscape rather than the jumps and showed me how to ride to the jump in a way that would help her focus on what we were coming up to. I was mistakenly reacting to all of her fussing and looking by getting very busy with my hands and really losing the battle of trying to manage her mach 5 brain. Instead, she advised me to get her at the pace I wanted well ahead of the jump, and then ride her straight and hold her that way with my legs, thinking leg yield rather than correct with my hands and look up and beyond the obstacle. Think straight!!

Black, black, bit of blue and black, hmm. I think we need a colour. Any suggestions?

Funny how riding with a purposeful mindset and not messing with things right before the jump really helped Savvy lock on to the jumps better. We were still having ugly distances, but our line and steadiness was much improved.

We all know I have struggled to ride with commitment at a level that clearly helps my horse know what has to happen. Even when I think I am riding a bit aggressively, I am always surprised to see in video that I still look a bit backed off. This was still the case with video from this schooling day, but I can see some moments of actual riding, so yay for improvement. I am happy to say we had not a single refusal in this lesson - even with two jumps that scared the crap out of me.

First was the raspberry jump we had struggled with at the June derby, and the feeder which we had never actually made it over before -- just one purposeful ride-around and three refusals at that derby.

Raspberry jump: Looks so innocent but has been trouble for Savvy in the past...

We had no trouble at all with the raspberry jump this time, and the feeder was a success on the first try, even though the coach felt Savvy had come to it saying "Yes, got this" while I was riding a bit of a "hell no". Haha! Got to love an honest coach, and yes, she was very right on that one.

Savvy had no trouble with this (although I am still working on my feelings about it).

There were definitely nerves getting in the way at some points, but for the most part I really just had a ton of fun and felt like it was a great experience for Savvy to help her realise the jumps were no big deal.

Savvy was being so game for the whole thing--when pony is good, she is fantastic. And it may have even helped me with the same issue as well, but I still need more good rides like this one to really feel like I can trust Savvy headed at the bigger jumps.  No worries! We've got time.

 

 

June Derby Recap - XC

The derby format for this weekend included dressage, pace and xc (no stadium) and riders could pick three options. To be eligible for year-end awards, one must include dressage as one of those three. I chose dressage and two xc rounds feeling confident enough not to need to do pace this time.

I had a lot of time after my dressage to relax, change, lunch and beer. I hand walked Savvy around to eat grass and really couldn't wait for my turn at the top of the hill. The course this time included some jumps I would find quite challenging to gallop at. I was torn between two thoughts: One, I could just go around them and resolve myself to having a fun outing despite disqualification. Or two, I could try the jumps. The ever-optimistic part of me was pushing me to remember that magical feeling last month on course. Savvy had really gotten into the game once on course and became a lot more brave than she would be otherwise. Maybe that would happen again and we could sail over the jumps I was worried about?

The course...

Jump 1: Nice friendly old log jump, only made slightly intimidating to me by the width of those ground poles. Savvy reluctantly left the start and proceeded to zig-zag down the hill like a drunk platypus (trying to turn back because she did not want to leave the other horses). The first jump resulted in a stop-and-pop special that unseated me so bad I fell on her neck. Err...no big deal though right? I was sure we would get into a groove soon. I sat up and got her cantering for the next fence.

Our second time out it went much better and Savvy over-jumped it by a few feet.

Jump 2: Large-AF feeder. Cantering up to this I thought, well...I am doing the course twice. Maybe this time I will just go around and let my face recover from the jump 1 smash up...

Second time out I thought I was GOING TO JUMP this. Savvy said no. Three times. So then we carried on around it.

 

To get to jump three we had to go through the bush to the right of this ramp jump. 

 

Jump 3: Savvy was SO worried that the ramp would eat her, and the trees would eat her, and the flags would eat her but we got through and enjoyed another 4-foot effort over a 2-foot log both times out.

Jump 4: This was named the raspberry jump and it scared the crap out of Savvy. I actually thought it looked pretty basic. We made it over the first time with some encouragement, but the second time out, Savvy decided at the last second she would dive right instead of over and took out the red flag.

 

Jump 5: This jump had actually scared me at the previous derby. It was not on our course last time, but it was in our practice the day prior and Savvy had seemed worried about it. I even ended up building something at home that looked like this one to practice with. Our first round this day, she did it very well, but the second time out I was so discombobulated from the duck-out Savvy had done at the raspberry jump, I decided to just go around this one and regroup.

 

Jump 6: A jump like this was so welcomed by this point. Thank you for being simple, #6.

Jump 7: This may not look very big, but just like jump #2, Savvy does not seem to understand how to answer a big, solid question like this yet. We decided to just go around this one both times out.

Jump 8: Are you fecking kidding me?!!  <:(    This is PRE-ENTRY people! I am not even entering. I could have sat down and had lunch at this beastly bench. No and no. Went far around it both times. May have given it the finger in passing.

Jump 9: Now something Savvy and I can do!! We walked peacefully over this log both times, down the bank and off into the field for our last jump.

Jump 10: Of course it is the fecking barn. No. just, no. Went around it the first time, and attempted it once the second time because I am a glutton for punishment. Savvy refused once and I decided to call it quits. I galloped up the hill to celebrate, cry, take stock and pat my grumpy pony.

Take-aways?

1. This course was a bit too challenging for pre-entry level by many of the experienced riders' standards who were there that day. That made me feel somewhat better for not quite being ready for the size and style of jumps we were presented with.

2. I know solid and wide structures like the feeder and barn are tough for Savvy mentally, so time to build more things like this at home and get practicing.

3. Poison Ivy. I took home poison ivy. uggghhh.

4. Savvy is a great little horse. Even when she doesn't want to try, or has hormone issues turning her brain to mush, she is still a reliable girl that I feel safe on and can have fun with while failing at all the things!