eventers ride in wintry mixes too

As hinted at yesterday, our little ship-in contingent of adult amateur eventers were mildly put to shame by the younger, more spry riders from OF this weekend. We arrived to the farm in the midst of rain and snow and temps hovering around the high 30s, and just automatically headed over to the indoor to start warming up ahead of the lesson.

"i disapprove of the general wetness" - isabel

So imagine our surprise when trainer P stuck her head in and chided us for it - saying everyone else was already up in the outdoor ready to ride. Haha, womp womp, I guess we went a little soft over the winter!

It was totally the better call tho. There were 9 riders in the lesson (I repeat: NINE crazy folk who braved the 20* drop in temps + precipitation for a jump lesson) working in three different height groups. The larger space of the outdoor was definitely more appropriate. Tho of course it also ended up being a nearly 2hr lesson due to the size and necessity of resetting all the jumps constantly. #totallyworthit

looking freaking adorable out of the grid

Anyways. Onto the lesson. Warm up was pleasant. Mare was sound and happy to move forward, and also happy to give a lead to lesson new-comer Krimpet (recall my friend's adorable black Welsh pony?) as she familiarized herself with the arena. We kept it pretty simple tho.

just out for an afternoon canter!
(plz to heels down, tho, emma!)

Jumping started with a very small trot jump to eventually build into an 18'-to-30' grid, vertical-oxer-oxer. I told trainer P about our recent issue of crashing into tiny fences, but that I thought we solved it via thrush treatment. This lesson reaffirmed that: Isabel never even considered stopping. Oooooh, except for that one time. Haha. Oops. I'll get there tho. (also it's in the video...)

isabel wants to eat these jumps for breakfast. fierce mare don't care

We continued the warm up over two diagonal lines, which I opted to ride off my eye vs asking trainer P for the measurements. Diagonal oxer to coop rode in a 5 somewhere between balancing and going - not quite a true 12' stride, tho (as evidenced by when we built it into the course and barely fit the 5 in... oops!).

a titch tight out of this line... good mare makes it work tho

Other diagonal skinny birch rode in a forward 6, which Isabel was quite happy to do every time. Fun fact: I've kinda obsessed over this skinny jump ever since its first appearance in the arena last summer (it apparently used to be a 12' jump but broke in half and was therefore repurposed as a skinny) but this was our first time jumping it. Fun!!

i LOVE this skinny birch jump!

The other outside line in the course was a bit shorter, so I DID ask trainer P for the measurements: 48' - either a very balanced 4 for us, or an open 3 strides. Naturally we went for the three, tho it still rode a tad long.

Other jumps on course included a single diagonal oxer with a barrel for fill and a single natural oxer. I got wayyyyyy too gung ho about the barrel jump - saw a flyer four strides out and gunned it... But it was still too long and then Isabel had no room left to adjust so we slid under it... Sorry mare, that was totally my bad! It was fine, tho, made it over no problem when I remember to, ya know, WAIT for the jump. Some lessons just don't stay learned, I guess...

cruisin over the final oxer <3

All was well tho. I mean, I was in a state of mild terror for most of the jumping. Somewhat inexplicable, really, since the jumps were all around 2'9" - theoretically a safe height for us. And Isabel was jumping beautifully and forward - happily taking me to the jump. My eye wasn't terrible either (barrel jump shenanigans aside).

"it's touching my eeeeeeeeears!!!!!!" - isabel >:(

It just is what it is tho. I haven't been jumping often, and that takes a toll on my confidence levels. Happily, tho, the fear didn't seem to affect my actual riding very much. My mistakes are the same as always, whether I feel on top of the world or like there's this hollow pit of doom inside my guts. So I just keep riding.

video here

also - call me twisted if you want, but i kinda get a kick out of all the horses jolting alive at the sound of isabel sliding into the barrels (fence 4 in the video)

Oh, and shout-counting out loud haha. When all else fails, especially when I'm really nervous, shout-counting is the way to go. It forces me to breathe and communicates a rhythm to me and Isabel. Listen closely and maybe you'll hear it in the video lol.

more evidence of snow as Wick winds around his course.
lots of familiar ears in the foreground too. L to R: Tillie, Little Foot and Krimpet

So ya know. We jumped the jumps. And it was pretty ok. I liked how Isabel went for me, and felt pretty solid in the saddle, even if the video shows some things I'd like to fix. Namely: extreme tension in my shoulders/elbows/hands in the last few strides to the fence (attributable in part to nervousness) and lifting heels. All fixable in time.

sodden soggy mare

I think my confidence will recover in time too. Just needs moar practice, ya know? Our first event of the season is coming up on April 10, and I expressed my uncertainty about which division to enter to trainer P. She had zero hesitation in telling me to go novice tho. The event is at Loch Moy - a familiar and inviting setting for us - and the perfect venue for getting our sea legs back.

Hearing that from the trainer is always reassuring too. Now to practice practice practice!!! OH and maybe school xc too haha.

Do you have any little go-to tricks for quelling your nerves mid ride? Like shout-counting or whatever?