Jumping into spring!

Last night was my jumping lesson. The second one of the new spring, we are still riding indoors for the lesson, thankfully out of the wind, in a gorgeous large indoor arena, complete with lights and a sound system spinning old Hall and Oates. Last night there were 4 of us in the lesson, Spot- a gorgeous, tall, spicy, athletic, young, paint gelding, Beau- a 4 year old draft cross, that is lots of draft, with roan dapples and a thick Currier and Ives body and a unruffled demeanor, Indy- a dapple grey Thoroughbred mare, hugely athletic and handy but a bit opinionated and flighty. Oh- and Oslo- my little pony. Who, has lost weight and is in more athletic frame at only 1350lbs now. Of the four, Spot and Indy are the most experienced, but both can be real spitfires. Beau is by far most unflappable, and has the least experience, mostly due to his tender age. But, aim him at a fence, and he reasonably jumps over. Oslo has more experience than Beau, just not in the jumping arena. When Oslo and I paired up-( almost one year ago!) he came with a sheet of paper with his history and such. (I got him through a rescue, he was a donation to the program as a fundraiser- read: couldn't sell him, so took a tax deduction). On it was the statement "Doesn't jump, just knocks the fence down." From this, I sumrised that he had not had proper instruction and confidence to be taught what to do when pointed at a few flimsy poles propped off the ground. I got right down to it. In fact, the very day I brought him home, we went to his first jumping lesson. We "jumped right in".  He built slowly the understanding that he needs to pick up his feet, tuck his legs up and push up and over the fence. Other than one hugely spectacular blow up in the arena mid summer, he handled it pretty well. He still tends to resort to volcanic action when suprised or worried, but it happens less often now.

Last night we worked on gymnastics. No, not the beam, or the parallel bars, but equine gymnastics. Designed to get the horse to think, collect, coordinate, gymnastics are a series of low fences in close combination. we started with just trot poles on the ground, so they have to lift their feet and stay in even rythym in order to not land on a pole. Then, the poles came off the ground a bit, about 6 of them, so they have to still concentrate, and lift legs higher.

This is a horse doing trot poles.

We then moved to a trot pole to a bounce. A bounce is when two fences are placed at the correct distance so the landing stride is also the taking off stride. This requires coordination, thought and freedom of movement. The rider has to learn to trust the horse while the horse negotiates the obstacle, and the rider assists with balance. They have to become a bit more of a pair.

This is a horse free-jumping a bounce. The blue barrel on end in the foreground is to keep the horse from heading out through the opening after jumping the first fence. Our bounce was not this high!

Oslo was doing fairly well, still a bit suspicious of cantering through the obstacle, but making his way just fine. Then, our instructor added another element. So, now we had a trot pole then a triple bounce. This is fence- land-takeoff-fence-land-takeoff-fence land. This surpised my mount a bit and we had a bit of a to-do after this one. We did it a half dozen more times, until we could accomplish it with some grace and no volcano.

Typical gymnastics line. Rider is in "two-point".

Then, the middle fence went lower and the last fence grew higher. And here is where we had an "A-Ha!" moment. My instructor had me stay in "two-point" position (where you are up out of the saddle, weight in your heels and lower leg, chest lowered to the neck, fanny out behind) for a few strides after the fence. This put me in his hands, as with my weight already forward, he would have an easier time dumping me with a buck. But it worked! He all of the sudden had to stop himself after the fence. The first time through, we really nearly hit the back wall, as he was expecting me to haul him in after landing. I didn't. But, I also wasn't going to let him rip around the corner. He had to put on the major brakes and even had to yank his head up a bit to get his teeth  from hitting the wall. Next time over, he decided to slow himself after the fence. Self preservation is a wonderful thing. (Yes, so why am I riding a 1350lb beast with faulty brakes and volcanic action? Let's not question this too carefully.) After that, he started feeling much more confident and controlled.

Indy had the biggest drama of the night. Right after Oslo had his "to-do". Indy went through the line and demonstrated just how athletic she can be. Tenaciousness exhibited by her determined rider, Kara, the pair stayed upright. Wow, that horse is flexible.