I have had a couple more riding lessons since I last blogged about it. I am now jumping a 7 fence course .Typically hunter classes are anywhere from 8-12 fences in a show. I have graduated on up from crossrails to verticals as well. Yesterday , I jumped an Oxer, which is a jump with two rails and is usually as tall as it is wide. I think the oxer I jumped was 2 feet. One of the jumps was actually 2'3. That is the highest I have jumped in like... forever... . I thought it would be a lot more intimidating to get over a two foot fence but I find myself wanting more! Jazzy , the lesson mare I am riding now , is a smaller, short strided Quarter horse. She is super sweet and a great confidence builder. She is ,however, like riding a 2x4 because no one ever taught her much in the way of lateral flexion or bending. Riding corners is a lot like riding a .. well.. 2x4... ..Her favorite trick is to add an extra half step right before the jump and then, pop over the jump.. I am relearning how to count strides in a line , between fences , and then trying make sure I hit the right stride count, which sounds easy enough but when your in the middle of getting through a course, things are happening quickly..
One of my old habits seems to have redeveloped as well, that which involves holding my breath for the entire course.. So as I am going around taking my jumps, it sounds a bit like this from my trainer..
"find the center, look up, support with leg, BREATHE, find the center, , look up, 1, 2, 3, 4, (counting strides for me ), Ride your corner, support with more leg....BREATHE!!!!!" ....and so on..
On Labor day weekend , there is a local show..My trainer wants me to try for it.. I was definitely not into it. A few days ago, I found myself perusing the Dover catalog that came in the mail.... and happened to turn to the English show apparel pages and happened to find a steal on a show jacket that was being clearance out... so I ordered it.. just in case....(you never know , right?)
Well you can't have a jacket without a shirt and they happened to have some of those on sale too so I ordered one of those.. and wouldn't you know it , that the show quality half chaps were also on sale ( I would love to have the tall boots again but not at those prices... I am not THAT serious about this jumping thing!) I can always use them for everyday riding and besides, my second pari of half chaps are getting pretty torn up anyways..
So, maybe I have been bitten by the jumping bug.. it's hard not to be.. I am having an absolute blast!
One of my old habits seems to have redeveloped as well, that which involves holding my breath for the entire course.. So as I am going around taking my jumps, it sounds a bit like this from my trainer..
"find the center, look up, support with leg, BREATHE, find the center, , look up, 1, 2, 3, 4, (counting strides for me ), Ride your corner, support with more leg....BREATHE!!!!!" ....and so on..
On Labor day weekend , there is a local show..My trainer wants me to try for it.. I was definitely not into it. A few days ago, I found myself perusing the Dover catalog that came in the mail.... and happened to turn to the English show apparel pages and happened to find a steal on a show jacket that was being clearance out... so I ordered it.. just in case....(you never know , right?)
Well you can't have a jacket without a shirt and they happened to have some of those on sale too so I ordered one of those.. and wouldn't you know it , that the show quality half chaps were also on sale ( I would love to have the tall boots again but not at those prices... I am not THAT serious about this jumping thing!) I can always use them for everyday riding and besides, my second pari of half chaps are getting pretty torn up anyways..
So, maybe I have been bitten by the jumping bug.. it's hard not to be.. I am having an absolute blast!
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