Beastin'

So after getting quite frustrated with my red animal on the flat, as the constant spooking, sucking behind the bit / behind my leg, and general lack of cares at what I'm trying to do, I decided we were both in need of a good old fashioned jump school.

I set up the following:

Yeah, MS Paint.

The following is a barrel skinny (2 barrels on their side, our warm up fence) and then a 2'9 square oxer and a 2'11 airy vertical. 

And let me tell you, that jump school was the best part of my week thus far; Bailey was cute on the ground and followed me around while I hunted down jump standards and cups (and pins, omg where did all the pins GO?) and all business under saddle. She really is a fantastic little jumper - catty and willing and brave. We started off with some easy trotting and cantering over the barrels, and then, having failed to walk the distance between the barrels and oxer... went "oh, what the hell" and rode them as a connected line. Somehow I am a genius because I set them as a perfect, forward 4 stride, and she rocked over them. The vertical was a bit more challenging - I set it on an angle that allowed for 2 strides  out of a deep corner (which happens to be the door corner, aka spook city) and vaguely on an extreme bent line to the barrels. She flubbed the vertical twice, and the oxer going towards the barrels once, but left all the poles in the cups regardless. And between the flubs, she was brilliant. Forward, rateable, and once I got her on the line, I was able to just sit and wait for the jump to come to us. We got a few bad distances, but 80% of the time (minus flubs and short spots) she was 110% on point, which is super exciting. 

We also did a lot of crazy careening around and hit everything on angles inspired by Lucinda Green, and boy did the red horse step up! 2'9 oxer on an angle? Lets hit the perfect spot and rock it like a hunter. Vertical to skinny barrels on an angle? No problem, Lets roll back to the oxer, too. She took everything confidently, and was definitely a thinking girl last night. I couldn't be prouder! 

Maybe I should just give up and become a jumper... too bad she's too damn talented at dressage (even if it's bo-oring) to not event. Plus, I love my sport. Besides, as of our last dressage ride she had square stops figured out, which would be a waste not to show off. 

Ah, the ups and downs of young red mare ownership!