Friday, June 12, 2015

more xc schooling!

Our little barn group went xc schooling again at Tranquility last week! We had considered going somewhere new... but couldn't decide where. Tranquility is the least expensive, plus they apparently had mowed a fresh field and filled up the water. So whatevs, we just went back there (it's super close too, always a bonus).

what's with the side eye, isabel?
Of the six of us, five were preparing for events over the weekend. B and I obviously for Waredaca, and the other three for Plantation. One day we'll get all our ducks in a row to show together too - but for now schooling together is plenty fun. 


we were out until dusk - the lighting was very pretty
The horses were again in excellent form. There's a video of everything, but I didn't bother segmenting out Isabel's and my individual efforts. We started in this long narrow field FULL of jumps - everything from intro through novice and one or two that may have been training. All of the horses were going every which way - back and forth and all over whenever wherever. The poor kiddos trying to take video didn't have a clue where to point the camera lol.

It's cool tho - the video captures the atmosphere well, imo. It just looks like a bunch of horse and rider pairs out having a good time, exactly what it was! Sadly most of my really fun stuff got missed. Nbd tho. 


run isabel runnnn!!!
I kept things pretty light for Isabel, and she was fine. We jumped all around that field (tho on the drive out I saw a few more things I wished I had jumped...) then moved on to the water. I tried a new tactic of trotting right in - no walking or halting! And it mostly worked, tho I may have cheated by circling around so she at least got her eyes on it. 


fine with banks into water
After getting into the water once or twice that way I tried cantering through to the jump right after the water. Isabel was a tad sticky but jumped anyway. We went through again (in the gif below) and all was well. I am starting to believe the water itself doesn't bother her - it's just new and unfamiliar water. She's fine in our streams at home, fine in the water at Olney - and obviously fine after a pass or two through Tranquility. 


why we didn't try this at waredaca is a mystery to me
So I'm not entirely sure what to do. The obvious answer seems to be presenting her with more and more new water - and expecting her to just trot right in and maintain impulsion. And I am SERIOUSLY kicking myself for not even trying the water at Waredaca.... Ugh I need to remember my priorities here! Getting through the finish line doesn't matter if we still have penalties at the water each time - needs work!!


not a very big jump out of the water - but good enough for practicing the question
But really she was a very good girl on this schooling. We strung a few things together here and there, and she helped pony a few other horses around. Generally she was just very enjoyable to ride. We jumped some competition sized stuff and worked on our water issues, and all was well. So we left it at that. 


What a good mare! I wish we had cross country jumps at our own farm haha :)

22 comments:

  1. Do you trail ride her? My new mare didn't really do water so I took her on a trail ride where the trail had about 15 creek crossings. Her level of arabian hysteria gradually notched down over the ride until she plowed right into a 1/4 mile portion of the trail entirely IN the creek. Another trail ride with just as many water crossing and by the time I took her XC schooling she sighed and went right in.

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    1. isabel has actually been a trail riding machine for many years - and our little section of woods is crisscrossed with all kinds of streams of varying depths and widths. she has never ever cared about that, and we frequently take advantage of that fact to introduce new horses to the water. so i was pretty shocked to discover last summer that water on an xc course is apparently a very different thing for her.

      she goes in, and she does get comfortable (as evidenced by the gif above) but getting her to canter in to a brand new water complex and handle a 2'7" jump one or two strides out of the water (a standard BN question) is pretty dicey right now...

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  2. I second trail riding and add going out after a nice rain where there are plentyyy of puddles lol As you know Quest and I are working on water as well - she still worries her pretty head about it but she'll get over it with time. I'm sure Izzy will be the same way, if not better, since you guys look pretty nice already (:

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    1. thanks! aside from breaks over the winter isabel and i trail ride a couple times monthly (and i have a post on it tomorrow lol).

      her ease and comfort with the streams around us does not translate to comfort with brand new water obstacles tho. so i'm thinking it has more to do with her familiarity - but hopefully general exposure will make it easier every time

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  3. so envious of all your xc schooling! I have yet to do that!

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    1. oh it's SO MUCH FUN!! even if you don't end up doing a ton of jumping. we are so so so fortunate to have so many facilities nearby that allow schooling, and a fun group of ppl to go with. maybe you'll just have to haul on down here and come with us! :D

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  4. So much fun!! I CAN'T WAIT for our school together next month - we are gonna school the ever-loving crap out of that water complex.

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    1. omg yessss!!!! i am so excited - it's going to be such a blast! and i may or may not be trying to scour the internet looking for pictures or maps of the course haha. but yea, that water complex has our name written all over it. and isabel will NOT be looking at it ahead of time - just straight in like an adult event horse lol

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  5. Really impressed by the down bank into the water!

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    1. thanks! she's honestly a total beast about all things related to the water - up and down banks, jumps in jumps out... all of it. only AFTER she's had a chance to acclimate to that specific water complex...

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  6. Vallu agrees with Isabel that water is dangerous ;) He refuses to walk through puddles, never mind the water that you guys went through! Seriously well done!

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    1. haha water is to be avoided at all costs!!

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  7. Gah! I want to come ride with you guys ahaha.

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    1. yesssss you totally should come!! never mind that it's probably a super long drive..... the more the merrier!

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  8. Isabel is gonna be so damn fit by the end of the riding season!

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  9. Looks like a really fun outing! Great job on that down bank into the pond!!

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    1. Thanks! Isabel is super brave about up and down banks - definitely makes it easy for me!

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