2Pointober

When I returned to blogland after a not-quite-hiatus, I found that I came back right in time for 2Pointober! For those of you wondering, as if a devotion to blogging isn’t enough, the horsey blogging community also likes to punish itself with a competition that focuses on burning calves and achey bums. We’re a sad and depraved bunch, for sure.

The 2-point position as done by a pro

And yet, I am excited that this year I can finally participate, after missing out due to 1) not meeting the baseline deadline or 2) not having a horse that could participate.

But this year, I actually got my act together and snuck in a ride in the failing light to see what my baseline could be. Recently I’ve been starting to feel stronger in my jump position, and thanked those weekly jump lessons as I got started. I had a barn mate timing me (aka yelling at me and lying to me about the time). My goal was to see if I could make 3 minutes. And when I got there, she told me if I could make 3 then I could make 5.

So I did. You guys, I actually was able to hold a 2-point position for five. freaking. minutes. 5:04 to be exact!

Photo by High Time Photography

I did canter the whole time, doing changes over a pole to switch things up. But I don’t know how much I can keep that up. So stupid question for those other 2Pointober-participants out there… What do you guys do while you are working on your 2 point? Are you trotting? cantering? Doing 20 meter circles? Or what?

In any case, I wasn’t able to replicate my 5 minute success when I practiced this week. Granted, I’m not particularly surprised- Jack and I had multiple days off, I was coming back from the neck sprain (or something) from HELL earlier that morning, and I didn’t have someone egging me on while I was at it. I hit 2:18 and then Jack broke gaits, throwing me off. He was fairly tired at that point in my ride (and so was I) so I called it a day at that.

I’m setting myself back by taking some time off from riding while I’m traveling, but I hope to get back to it as soon as I return! Bring on the burn!

6 thoughts on “2Pointober”

I haven’t officially participated in a few years but I hack, trail ride, and do trot sets. I can’t stand staying in the ring aimlessly, I need a goal!

When I’m just practicing and trying to build up strength I throw it in all my paces at various times through my ride, Walk, Trot and Canter. Walk is arguably the hardest gait to hold it at (but the easiest if you are riding a sassy baby and you tack it on to the end of your ride). When I am doing my update times and baseline and final times I warm the horse up and just start doing figures of the ring, trying to maintain through halts and goes etc.

You can do this!

When I got my baseline I did it in an arena and only got to 2:37 before I was bored and focusing on how bad it hurt.

I got my week 1 time in of 5:02 in last night by hacking around the farm in w/t (canter makes all the turned out horses run in their pastures, something I don’t need). Doing it outside of the arena, while still painful, was not nearly as mind numbing as the arena.