This post’s cliché title brought on by my thighs and calves, which are somewhat unhappy with me after my attempted jump school this weekend.
But first, let’s recap. The last time I actually jumped was February 11th in the winter clinic at the Carolina Horse Park. The last time I kind-of-attempted-jumping was March 16, in which my calendar entry for that day (anyone else keep a ‘diary’ of their horse’s activities?) says “Foster jump no good”. And I remember that ride- it was the day after I scratched the CT due to his bad attitude and likely ulcers, and I wanted to try jumping just itty bitty things to see if even that would improve his attitude. News flash: it didn’t. We couldn’t jump a 2′ vertical on a 30 meter circle successfully.
Looking derpy with his noseband off center
So almost two months later, and a crap ton of gastrogard, we tried jumping again.
I was a bit schizophrenic setting up the arena, as I knew I wanted to keep it small but couldn’t decided how small to go. So I left the cross rail intact, made a somewhat soft angled two-stride line out of two 2′ (2’3″?) verticals. There was a one stride to a two stride made up of 2’6″ verticals in the arena that I left up, but it walked long, so I was a bit skeptical of it but left it up for kicks anyway.
For whatever reason, it took me about 15 minutes of walking around in my jump saddle before I felt comfortable enough to get going. Let me tell you, after being a DQ for the last few months, those stirrups felt really damn short. I also really feel like I (or my saddle, but it’s probably just me) slide left far too easily. I got over it though, and focused on weighting my right heel, warmed up, and took the cross rail.
I swear it was angled, really
Well, I won’t go into a ton of detail, but he was great. (Me- not so much, yikes where is my leg?) From the X we made a figure 8 over the small verticals before taking the angled line, which rode like a dream. Will definitely make be making the angle more severe for next time. After that I added in the 2’6″ brick wall fence, and really felt Foster bloom- he lifts his tail, he canter becomes active, and you can just tell he’s enjoying himself. We did that a few more times and then added in the 2 strides to another 2’6″ vertical, which as predicted rode so long that I didn’t bother with it again.
After about 20 minutes of actual work, Foster was puffing, I looked like a tomato, and on top of that was actually getting a bit light headed from the exertion and the heat. Called it a day and gave the pony lots of praise and attention for being happy and not killing me.
The jumping session really cemented how much he has changed thanks to the Gastrogard, but also served as a reminder of how much we (I) have to go to get back into shape!
Red on the Right 
Yeah! Glad the first jump school back went well!
Success! 😀
Glad you’re back at it! How you feel in a jump saddle after months in a dressage saddle is how I feel when I sit in a dressage saddle… just opposite 🙂
Well if it makes you feel better, the next day when I went back to my dressage saddle, I felt like my legs just could not reach the stirrups. Ugh.
You’re back at it!! Sounds like a great first school back, and I’m sure your legs will catch up quickly.
My legs need to up their game STAT! I haven’t felt so pathetic in ages- and that was even before we got up to 2’6″ 😛
what fun! i love that description of him ‘blooming’!
That’s exactly what he does though 🙂 It takes something a little bigger to make him feel like a jumping machine, and the ride becomes completely different- like from driving a full sized SUV to a sports car! Vroom!
Oh man I bet it felt CRAZY to be in your jump saddle again!
Glad you are back working of!
So, so crazy. (And borderline scary feeling like a jockey for 15 minutes)
Hooray for happy Fosterpants! I feel weird picking up my stirrups after 2 laps of no stirrups, so I can imagine that it feels super weird to change lengths after a couple months.
I don’t think I have ever cranked my heels so far down before, just in an attempt to lengthen my leg as much as possible!
I’m so glad Fosterpants was happy to be jumping! And those jump DO look angled to me… you are totally right. 😉
Next time the angle will be better!
So great to hear you are back to jumping! Yay Foster!
I totally understand. After YEARS of only dressage work, my stirrups feel so awkward being so short :(. And I always slip to the left :(. Ugh I need a lesson. Or twenty…
I would be pathetic in a jumping lesson right now. Seriously, I don’t know if I would survive it!
I too have to walk around a bit to first to get used to my jump saddle after DQ’ing for a while.
Glad you’re both back in action 😉
Much of the first ten minute was convincing myself I would not let the stirrups down a few holes! 😛
YAYYYY! So glad you’re back jumping together<3
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