Riding like I mean it!

[racaille]

Took Paco to a XC training day yesterday and found myself having a ball. I felt I really rode Paco with conviction and he responded by sailing over the jumps brilliantly. Managed a really good canter in the approach and a good gallop afterwards - he didn't even look at the small wall and cantered through the large pond at first asking!

But I did bottle out of doing the whole course at the end, I was just too tired. Paco still needs a lot of riding and I find myself pretty exhausted most of the time, still not sleeping properly after the night of escape. I'm not beating myself up though, I think it is wise to know when to quit and I did have the hour and a half drive back in the dark to do.

[haffyfan]

Brilliant stuff, well done you!

Do you think it's given you extra confidence in that he went so well when the [former] teenager rode him in this fashion?

[fimacg]

brilliant well done to you, I think you made the right choice and finished on a good note too, before you were both too tired and made a mistake.

[racaille]

Oct 30, 2014 12:05:42 GMT haffyfan said:

Brilliant stuff, well done you!

Do you think it's given you extra confidence in that he went so well when the [former] teenager rode him in this fashion?

Yes Haff I think it showed me that is he can overcome his terror of everything and that he just needs a more authoritative rider (typically Spanish in that respect). If I ask him he says no, if I tell him, he says ooooohh err, if I have to .....

But it was also that I have been working so hard on my jumping position and although there is still a way to go (those wandering legs...) I am much more secure and it shows in the way I ride and how much I 'dare' to do! Not forgetting my great coach - she pushes me just far enough

On that note, my better position helped me enormously when we came steaming over a jump towards the woods just as two 'strange' riders burst into the clearing. Cue enormous spook by P as he suddenly veered hard right on landing. I lost a stirrup and my leg was coming up and then I thought: NO a thousand times NO, that leg comes down and forwards! And I was back in a secure position again. Phew.

[brigadier]

Gosh- thats good work. I think you may probably underestimate how hard riding cross country is,thinking you are out of breath and tired because Paco needs riding, but even on a fast and forward going horse its tiring, the serious competitors do other training to stay fit and they still look pooped after a session.