I didn’t write about it, but last week’s lesson went well. Berry was a good girl, and we did lots of trot poles, and even some jumps, the highest being a solid green box, with a pole on top, about two feet. It was a really nice ride, and I basked in the bliss of it for the rest of the week. I felt so good, I was even tempted to sign up for a 2ft hunter derby in August! I didn’t even know that division could possibly exist, but I am sure we can jump around a 2ft course in two months. I would have done it, but I had trouble understanding hunter show speak (why are there so many divisions?!?) so instead I’m printing out the prize list and taking it to my instructor tomorrow, where she can mark the appropriate class and then I can sign up for it. A small speed bump in my impulsiveness.
On Sunday, I had another lesson, but this time through my riding club. Without telling this instructor at all, he basically had me doing the exact same exercises, and giving me near exact feedback that my usual instructor does. It’s good we are all on the same page.
Berry is now an expert at trot poles. She even lengthened with no fuss when he spaced them out more.
I get the feeling she thought she was supposed to trot these too, as they came right after the trot poles, and she was determined to trot them at all cost. I can understand her logic, they did just come after the poles she is intended to trot over, not jump!
I was instructed to encourage her to jump. She made this tiny effort to jump, and then knocked over the poles with her hind.
This was taken right after the last one. It makes me laugh because it looks like she’s slinking away from the jump she just knocked over. “It wasn’t me!!”
I was instructed to kick her to get her to jump. I coaxed this effort out of her.
What a good girl!!
She was a very good girl, although I must admit this is the first time I’ve experienced a horse so reluctant to actually jump. I even asked the instructor afterward – “So… she is capable of jumping, right?” and he assured me she was. But I’m a little worried. It seems I have the most nonathletic horse in existence. She had a lot of trouble getting over the jump without crashing into it. I feel like I could never take Berry cross country – she would crash into the jumps for sure. Not that it is a goal of mine, I’d rather stay in the ring, but even then, I don’t want to end up knocking down poles or really the whole jump, which seems to be a possibility.
Has anyone else had a horse that couldn’t jump? And then hopefully the horse turned out to be an amazing jumper? Or maybe the reverse… terrible jumper and had to give it up?