I can't label right...so fence B was actually the first fence. Julia made it a smaller x-rail to start, then raised the ends to the top of the standards, to make a taller but narrower X. This was to get us (Surf and I shared our lesson with our buddy Piper and her beautiful gelding Paris) to work on jumping the very center of the jump...hard for my giant wiggle worm! Next we worked on jumping from fence B to fence C -- which rode in a forward 5 or a waiting 6 -- to work on hanging out in the turn and using all available space. Afterwards, we reversed it, jumping from fence C to B, just to do things off the other lead. Then we reversed again to jump from B to C to E -- all on the right lead. With E being a looky fence on a short turn, it's a very visual fence for the horse and tends to back them off...so much much leg needed. After jumping all 3 on the right lead, we added another fence -- A -- the evil oxer with no ground line -- to make us work on anticipating our turn, jumping E on a bit of an angle and weighting that L stirrup to land on the L lead. I still hate fences with out ground lines!
Our next bit of torture involved combining fence A with the 3 fences in the middle. Off the R lead we jumped A to E to A to F to A to D -- again working on staying out on your turn to be able to get to a perpendicular fence. Next we moved on to playing with the vertical plank and the liverpool. We jumped the G off a left lead canter, circling outside H but inside A and G to come back around and jump H, working on balance and tight turns. After that, we put a little course together : A to G to H to D to B to C to E -- whew! lots of turning!
Surf was very good throughout the lesson, and once again we worked on my big flaws -- leaning forward, being too soft with my leg and too hard with my hand. The 3 things I have to rember this weekend are:
1) SIT UP!
2) GIVE FORWARD WITH MY REINS!
3) KICK!
After finishing up in the arena, I got hauled off to the XC field to jump some banks :P Trakhaner to the single up bank, 2 strides to the single drop, circle R and gallop up the double up bank, circle left, gallop down the double bank, bending line to a skinny log. Surfie was a superstar!
I've seen the course maps for Radnor this weekend -- no double bank -- and no bank out of water (we drop in instead! YAY!). I'll post a report when we get back, but keep your fingers crossed for us doing Training this weekend!
7 comments:
What is the purpose of jumps with no ground lines? I know it's been awhile since I've jumped, but I guess I was under the assumption that they're a requirement.
Surf sounds like he was a good boy for the lesson, good luck at the show!
Egads...that looks tough! You're gonna be a pro with some crazy jumping exercises. I'll have to get you to come give me a lesson!
I'm sure y'all will do fabulous at the upcoming trial.
Ooo, neat! Thanks for the diagram, too! That sounds like fun. I hope Radnor goes well!!!!
Ive always wondered about the ground lines too. When I jumped we always used them.
That course looks fun, I always loved the ones with crazy turns.
Good luck at the show!
Kate and Piaffe, she talks about jumping without ground lines in her last post. If I hadn't rememered reading about it there, I would have been wondering, too!
Haha got it now, slipped my mind. Thanks Christie. :) I think my brain is too full and keeps pushing out new information.
Very unique approach since like Dare, I grew up with ground lines and picking a visual spot in the distance. Interesting.
Don't worry Kate, I feel like I do the same thing! I think my brain just pushes out whatever it thinks is old or irrelevant, or sometimes NOT so irrelevant, just to take something else in. I think this stuck in my mind because it is so different than having ground lines and picking a spot in the distance. I can just imagine going at a gymnastic with a sea of jumbled poles at speed, and trying to pick the top rail of each jump! I can feel myself getting tense, which would NOT make for a good jump!
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