Showjumping Lesson Recap

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Britt

Foster was a tired boy after our lesson!

So we finally got a lesson in! I trailered over to Equiventure this morning, where Holly trains, so it was even more meaningful because we were able to get off property. Foster tends to travel really well, and was much more interested in eating grass than looking about. But when we got to the arena he found another gear that I haven’t felt in some time!

While I won’t bore you with all the details, I did have some great take-aways:

I have a tendency to bend him to the left over fences, as well as turn my head to the left, which causes him to travel through his right shoulder and occasionally jump over the shoulder. I need to focus on riding him straight through his neck and body and look straight ahead!!
It is okay to let Foster move out a bit. More forward and more energy is not something I should be afraid of!
Don’t hit him with my butt! This one I was somewhat aware of going into it, as I’ve seen it on some of the videos taken of us recently. I need to stay in the air just a beat longer so I don’t punish him by ‘landing’ before he does.
For practicing at home we are going to take 3′ off of the distances, but know and be prepared for shows setting up strides different ways. Even if they use the 12′ stride + 6′ takeoff/landing, the adrenaline should get us moving through it fine.
For combinations, land, sit up, stay quiet, and let the fence come to you

There’s definitely a few other pointers I picked up but these are the highlights! Overall I think I have plenty to work on, and am really proud of my boy for being so workmanlike. We both had a great time; I knew Foster was having fun because he was giving me great walk/canter transitions with a little fun head toss every once in a while.

It was also a great opportunity to school in some wetter footing!
Tomorrow’s a tack cleaning day for sure…

Next week is our XC schooling at a huge farm in Southern Pines. So stay posted for that and maybe even a jumping photoshoot at home this weekend!

More Rain (AKA tour our arena)

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Britt

So, this weekend we tried for a lesson, and then a makeup lesson, both of which were cancelled thanks to rain. And as I look out the window at the gloomy rain clouds, I’m pretty sure tomorrow’s jump lesson will be cancelled as well. 4 attempts at lessons cancelled in one week. Bummer.

So instead, I would like to show you the fences that have been recently painted by the ladies I board with. We happen to have a wonderful leader in Ali, who took it upon herself to build the chevron, the brand new brick wall, and organize painting days to make the jumps all ~~scary as crap~~ bright and shiny!

The brand new brick wall!

I applaud the first person to go over this fence- the brick wall itself is 2’6″ and with rails it’s a cool 3’3″.

Probably my favorite, the stone wall

A classic big brown oxer

Swedish Oxer with ‘Liverpool’

The first chevon, part of the two/three stride line

The above single chevron has been really great practice for a similar (albeit much less colorful version) at MacNair’s that seems to cause most horses problems. After riding this though, it was a piece of cake!

The scary chevron oxer

The golden gates gymnastics

The idea with these jumps is that we can practice pretty much everything we might see at a show- and most of these jumps are way scarier! But because all of this is now second nature to our horses they (and we) have so much confidence entering the jump ring! Now we’ve just got to build up the courage to attack the new brick wall… Fingers crossed!

Foster the Jumper! And how the heck to measure strides?

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Britt

Unfortunately my lesson on Wednesday had to cancelled as the rings were questionable whether or not they would be open. My lesson will now be next Tuesday, so in preparation I moved around some fences last night. The goal for the lesson is to put together more complicated (1 and 2 stride) combinations without getting rushed or discombobulated. So that’s what we practiced.

We set up a nice novice sized course (3′) including a fun Swedish Oxer at the liverpool and one training sized oxer (3’3″), plus a one-stride combination that was significantly lower (2′-2’3″?) and one two-stride line. Foster warmed up nicely and we popped over the novice sized fences without much fuss. I have really been wanting to see what he does at 3’6″, so after he took the training oxer a couple of times I hopped off and raised it up a notch. Standing next to it made it feel huge, but the approach really was nice. I just had to tell myself it was only one hole higher! Well, the first time he brought down the back rail (it was an ascending oxer). Hop off, set it up, and try again. The second time he made it over! Not necessarily over jumping, in fact we may have rubbed it just a tish, but I was so pleased! Foster’s got so much heart.

Update: Foster standing next to last night’s oxer for scale

Then we proceeded to the combinations. Let me just say how very difficult it is to find measurements on how to set up these combinations online! Or rather, how to set up these fences at a height smaller than 3’6″ and not have to ask for gallopy long strides. I followed the instructions from this Practical Horseman article and that’s what I had to ride. So that’s 24′ from base to base for 1 stride, and 36′ for 2 strides. (6′ for landing and takeoff, 12′ per stride)

The one stride was massive! Ali said she has never seen Foster stretch like he did to make it. Foster is not tiny (15.3, maybe 16 hands?) and really had to work to get one stride in there. Since he didn’t chip, and came right back to me, I decided I would play with the set up another day.

How we felt in the one stride!

The two stride also rode massive. Longest strides ever, but he did it. I came back for a second pass and had a fly-by at the second fence. Nothing nasty, he just started drifting right and somehow missed the second obstacle. Oops. It didn’t help that the jumps involved were the ‘scariest’ fences out there (for now!), neon green and navy chevrons with matching poles on top. Not the mention the wings on the second fence, an oxer, were actually barrels. So I came back to it again, keeping him between leg and hand, and were successful. Good pony!

Then Ali suggested I ride through it again and see if I could get 3 strides. Because we have not done many combinations I was hesitant- this would be a real test to see if Foster was adjustable, and definitely a test to see how far he has come since the days of rushing. Could I collect him in between the fences and ride it as 3 instead of two strides? So I came back at it with a nice bouncy canter and three strides later came out of the combination with the biggest grin on my face! Definitely a good note to end on.

I really can’t say how proud I am of my boy. Just in the last few months I can say he has shown me he can jump in a nice quiet (sometimes too quiet) rhythm, jump height without drama, and now be adjustable when I need him to be. I am positive that our lesson will be challenging, but that’s great. Excited does not begin to describe it!

I need to look more into how to set up these fences, especially before my lesson next Tuesday. So if you have advice let me hear it! And if you have ideas as to why these measurements ride so big I would love to know! Thanks in advance!

Foster showjumping course

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Britt

Foster had officially made a full turnaround from the days of rushing crossrails. Tonight’s goal was to do related lines without getting disorganized, and canter the entire course successfully. Check and check! Need more work on my position, but I’m very glad with where we’re at! Novice here we come!