going along for the ride

It was true with Isabel, and remains true with Charlie: the pace of my "progress" in riding depends almost entirely on my confidence in the saddle. So. Ya know. It usually goes pretty slow haha.

you're probably tired of hearing about our crazy weather lately, but it's not without its perks. like this berry pink evening sky

Charlie, for his purposes, began outpacing me in what he was ready to face in terms of skills development almost immediately. Like, from the moment he figured out the actual mechanics of how to jump a fence (which, in fairness to myself, took a little while haha) he's basically been cleared for take off ever since.

But we lingered at lower heights for some time anyway. Mainly because it was really important to me that Charlie learn how to make all the mistakes, learn how to recover from all the oopsies, in situations that still felt pretty safe and manageable.

And because I needed to live through all those oopsie moments with him (many of which were of my own creation, let's be real) to help convince myself that it would be ok. That he would be fine. And I would be fine.

With the idea being that eventually I would be aiming Charlie at bigger and badder things, and would need to know that he could be there for me when I inevitably fall short.

this horse.... has had some many oopsie moments. 

This might not be the right approach for every horse or every rider, but it has worked out really well for me and Charlie. He just feels so..... good right now over fences.

I wish I had pictures or video to share with you from our most recent lesson, but the threat of downpour conditions meant that everybody left their phones in the safety of the dry barn. C'est la vie. So you'll just have to take my word for it.

those oopsie moments, and his general soft sensitive nature, being a major contributing factor to the growth of my medicine chest in recent years. this particular array being all the many tinctures and tonics charlie got after his fair hill trail ride - treating everything from his minor splint, that fleshy puncture, and general hoof health....

Charlie actually hasn't been feeling spectacular on the flat lately - we've got a lot a lot a lot of bracing happening particularly in the base of his neck, and are struggling to really engage his hind end.

It's funny bc we've been doing a lot of conditioning work lately and that's really been paying off in his cardiovascular health and stamina.

But I guess that hind end strength won't come from anything other than purposeful "weight lifting" style schooling. Always must needs balance in any training program, I guess.

no new pics so here are some recent oldies of charlie looking like he knows what's up

So his lack of softness in warming up made me feel a little skeptical about what I would get in our first jump lesson with trainer P since... uhhh, early April??? My concern was entirely misplaced tho. Charlie was a superstar.

Seriously tho. Idk if I sound like a broken record but I just don't know how I got so lucky with this horse.

The exercises set up were really really cool, in my humble opinion. A long bending line. A short one stride. A triple combination of 2-to-2 strides, all oxers. And a three stride line. And Charlie just nailed all of his warm ups.

course diagram for any interested. most lines were compressed, except for that three stride across the diagonal.

Or, if we got to one a little funny, it was pretty easy to diagnose the issue as a function of my own riding. And thus, was easy to correct by just... ya know... fixing my own self. Like, half halting in the turn, putting horse in front of my leg. Looking for a forward feel to the fence, with lift through his shoulder. The usual.

So when trainer P put it all together in a course for us, she was happy to set everything around 3', instead of the mostly 2'9 we've been working on for months now. Small differences, but they matter to me.

from a two stride earlier this spring

And apparently they matter to Charlie, too. I swear this horse likes a bigger jump. He pays more attention. Eyes the jumps up himself, adjusts his stride himself. Lopes over like the easiest thing in the world. Literally all I do is keep my leg on and hold him straight.

The triple combination of 3' square oxers set at short two stride distances (30') was such an incredible feeling for me. Not only bc it's been literal YEARS since I've ridden anything like it.

But bc with Charlie, I had enough confidence in aiming him at those jumps that I could focus on the other little details of the ride. Like being present enough to catch and correct my left drift tendencies. Or to notice my right side position collapsing a bit, with right leg curling up (thanks new stirrup irons for bringing that sensation to my attention!).

Like, not just surviving the ride but actually feeling like I was a participant in it. Even if my role is minor with only a few lines lol....

also from earlier this year, charlie looking casual over a swedish oxer

Anyway tho the whole course rode like that. Triple combination to one stride to three stride, looping around to the final bending line when I see trainer P hustling over to the last vertical, adjusting its height at the last moment. Putting it up higher.

I can tell immediately that it's a height I haven't seen since 2015. And that Charlie's certainly never seen before. But.... Charlie nails the oxer going into the bending line, we hold straight for three strides and then turn to the vertical out, lope another three and just... sail over.

basically my favorite bronto ever <3

This horse, guys. What a feeling. And he just knew he was such a good boy <3

It might seem small in the grand scheme of things, to be so over the moon about *one* fence just 3" higher than the rest. But. Ya know. The way I see things? All that really matters is how excited and happy I can feel walking away from a ride.

And just like how I asked trainer P to pull out the measuring stick to proudly immortalize Charlie's first 2' jump, I still just get so excited with every new milestone for this horse.

Are you the same way? I know a lot of "firsts" (even the small ones) are a big deal for a lot of people. Mostly bc, at least for me, those "firsts" always kinda loom large in my mind. And it's such a rush to finally tackle them - especially if the horse makes it seem like the easiest thing in the world lol.