co-dependent

aka "love the one you're with"

After my last ride with Peanut I hinted about plans for this little mare. Well, things have changed - but I have no qualms telling you that my plan was to take Peanut to Jenny Camp this weekend, not Isabel. 

The terms were settled, and an OF barn rat had even volunteered to 'groom' for me. Plus it meant I'd have coaching for the first time ever at an event, since that's one of the rules of taking a lesson horse. 

So let's talk a little bit about WHY I wanted to take Peanut and not Isabel. 

Superficially, it made sense. Isabel was coming off of 2 weeks stall rest, another week of field rest, and a gradual return to work. Jenny Camp is 7 weeks to the day from her flu diagnosis, and it seemed to be cutting it close (esp given I don't own the mare). 

But, in the interest of honesty, there was more to it: 

Isabel is not a complicated horse to jump. I mean, yes - it is entirely possible to ride this horse to a stop (ask me how I know); but really, she's an honest horse who loves to jump. 

She IS a technical and sensitive ride tho, especially in her rhythm to the jump. Her canter stride is incredibly adjustable - a quality generally considered to be a good thing. Unless you're me and you pick pick pick to the fence. 

Isabel can almost *always* fit in an extra stride, and since I know that chip stride is waiting just below the surface I tend to ride defensively and create a self-fulfilling prophecy wherein I pull to the base and chip in. Or, conversely, I'll gun it out of the turn and chase Isabel past her distances... leading again to a chip. 

The answer to this problem is deceptively simple - focus on a quality canter that has power and impulsion without being FAST. This means worrying less about the distance, since we already know Isabel can jump from just about anywhere - ESPECIALLY if she's in the right canter. But of course knowing a thing isn't the same as doing a thing, right?

So then I ride something like Peanut - who is the epitome of uncomplicated jumping. Just sit and smile and Peanut does the rest. The spots are right there, Peanut adjusts herself with minimal input, and she's only going to make the same mistake once. 

And I walk away musing that maybe that's the kind of horse I should be riding. My confidence soars and everything feels so EASY. 

There's a flip side tho (obviously). 

Peanut is trained up on the flat - but I can't seem to push the right buttons to get the results I want, especially at the canter. It's like I straight up can't adjust the mare. She's so set in her ways (and generally they are pretty excellent ways) that rider input is practically irrelevant. 

This point was really driven home when I rode Isabel immediately after Peanut, and despite my crookedness and pretzel-like contortions, Isabel knew exactly what I meant and put herself into this springy round pretty trot. 

The same adjustable and sensitive way of going that gets me into trouble over fences with Isabel is what allows me to learn so much in flatting her. Generally, it's clear that she's very tuned in to me, for better or for worse. 

In a way we're kinda co-dependent haha. Neither of us is super educated, but we're learning together (even through the mistakes). And more importantly, we're both enjoying the process. 

So while taking Peanut to Jenny Camp might have made for an easier time jumping, I think having Isabel there will be more rewarding.