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Lisa's Blog post # 19
Baby steps to the oxer. Baby steps to the roll top. Baby steps to the coop. I feel like Bill Murray in What About Bob?! (highly recommended)
Low and Slow is our modus operandi. We are introducing Cotton to a whole other dimension, a brand new world! A world where 2-point does not necessarily mean gallop; where horses stay in the gait and at the speed his rider determines until otherwise notified and where landing in a strong canter on the forehand after each fence does not exist. It’s a wonderful new world full of hope and potential! His first few introductory days have gone pretty well but it will take some time for him to fully assimilate into this new world order – I know he can do it!
Today’s progress report - we did a course – yay! Granted, it was only Maiden sized jumps at the most and yes, we did trot between each fence and no, we didn’t do any lines or combinations, but it still counts – it was officially a course.
Lesley’s mantra to me those last couple of strides before each fence was “soften” and “stay where you are”. After I get him slow with my seat and knuckles on his neck, I am softening my hands by moving them forward a couple of inches. If he speeds up and we are still away off from the jump, I am to move my hands back again and soften immediately when he slows down. Once I get into the ‘red zone” (borrowing a football term here) which is about 12 feet in front of the jump I am to stay where I am no matter what he does. If I enter that zone as I was trying to slow him, I am not to soften if he didn’t obey but I am not to pull – keep the contact going into it. If I entered that zone and he was slow, I am to remain soft even if he speeds up.
The other major thing I need to do is keep my back flat – especially in the “red zone”. I can’t remember all the reasons Lesley gave me as to why – Lesley would you comment? – but it is extremely important. I got jumped out of the tack again today and the reason is because I didn’t have my back flat. Evidently, that is the key to sticking like glue – how easy is that?!
My big success came at the last jump of the day. We had been going over the same jumps I had already taken him over and he was not really paying attention to them. I was able to keep him slow and relaxed without anything new coming up. Then we did a jump that interested him for some reason and he raised his head during those last few strides. When he does that, the reins go slack and I get the feeling that he is going to scoot out from under me and bolt for the fence with his head in “up periscope” position. I ended up pulling on him a little, he landed even stronger and I had the opportunity to learn what I was supposed to do when he changed his carriage like that right before a jump – which is his typical jumping style.
Lesley said that his style is completely normal, “Look at the horses during stadium at the Rolex!” she said. She encouraged me to stay where I am no matter what he does. We took another few fences that didn’t really impress him at all and then as we approached the little brown coop he raised his head again. Lesley was chanting at me the whole way through the “red zone”. I remained soft, my back was flat, his head was high, I didn’t freak out and pull and he didn’t speed up!! Lesley was right again…
Is there a life lesson that can’t be illustrated by horses? Take trust, for instance. Trust is such a crucial element to successful riding, just like in successful friendships. I need to trust Lesley and Cotton and I need to trust each other. Going over that last little coop was trust exemplified!
Next biggie – taking what we learned to the XC jumps! And I’ll be flying solo!!
Low and Slow is our modus operandi. We are introducing Cotton to a whole other dimension, a brand new world! A world where 2-point does not necessarily mean gallop; where horses stay in the gait and at the speed his rider determines until otherwise notified and where landing in a strong canter on the forehand after each fence does not exist. It’s a wonderful new world full of hope and potential! His first few introductory days have gone pretty well but it will take some time for him to fully assimilate into this new world order – I know he can do it!
Today’s progress report - we did a course – yay! Granted, it was only Maiden sized jumps at the most and yes, we did trot between each fence and no, we didn’t do any lines or combinations, but it still counts – it was officially a course.
Lesley’s mantra to me those last couple of strides before each fence was “soften” and “stay where you are”. After I get him slow with my seat and knuckles on his neck, I am softening my hands by moving them forward a couple of inches. If he speeds up and we are still away off from the jump, I am to move my hands back again and soften immediately when he slows down. Once I get into the ‘red zone” (borrowing a football term here) which is about 12 feet in front of the jump I am to stay where I am no matter what he does. If I enter that zone as I was trying to slow him, I am not to soften if he didn’t obey but I am not to pull – keep the contact going into it. If I entered that zone and he was slow, I am to remain soft even if he speeds up.
The other major thing I need to do is keep my back flat – especially in the “red zone”. I can’t remember all the reasons Lesley gave me as to why – Lesley would you comment? – but it is extremely important. I got jumped out of the tack again today and the reason is because I didn’t have my back flat. Evidently, that is the key to sticking like glue – how easy is that?!
My big success came at the last jump of the day. We had been going over the same jumps I had already taken him over and he was not really paying attention to them. I was able to keep him slow and relaxed without anything new coming up. Then we did a jump that interested him for some reason and he raised his head during those last few strides. When he does that, the reins go slack and I get the feeling that he is going to scoot out from under me and bolt for the fence with his head in “up periscope” position. I ended up pulling on him a little, he landed even stronger and I had the opportunity to learn what I was supposed to do when he changed his carriage like that right before a jump – which is his typical jumping style.
Lesley said that his style is completely normal, “Look at the horses during stadium at the Rolex!” she said. She encouraged me to stay where I am no matter what he does. We took another few fences that didn’t really impress him at all and then as we approached the little brown coop he raised his head again. Lesley was chanting at me the whole way through the “red zone”. I remained soft, my back was flat, his head was high, I didn’t freak out and pull and he didn’t speed up!! Lesley was right again…
Is there a life lesson that can’t be illustrated by horses? Take trust, for instance. Trust is such a crucial element to successful riding, just like in successful friendships. I need to trust Lesley and Cotton and I need to trust each other. Going over that last little coop was trust exemplified!
Next biggie – taking what we learned to the XC jumps! And I’ll be flying solo!!
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